Read the Waste Free Policy
We can have a Waste Free Aotearoa New Zealand.
We support public education initiatives, economic incentives, import regulations, and aligning research and development priorities to support our waste free goal.
We will work to eliminate the use of hazardous substances in New Zealand, and phase out the use of landfills.
Key Principles
- The Green Party has a goal of achieving a Waste Free Aotearoa New Zealand by 2030, with clear and significant progress by 2020.
- A waste free society is essential to the well-being of people and the sustainability of the planet.
- Waste is not an inevitable part of production and consumption. Materials must be part of cycles rather than linear processes in which they are used once and discarded.
- Full social and environmental costs should be taken into account when making decisions about the creation, management and disposal of waste.
Specific Policy Points
Leadership
The Green Party will:
- establish an independent agency similar to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority that will work with central and local government, business, the community and the education sector to implement zero waste policies and legislation.
- develop a set of natural resources accounts that will be used to monitor the quality and rate of use of natural resources.
Economic Initiatives
The Green Party will shift tax from a focus on income and enterprise, to waste, pollution and natural resource use, for example taxes on packaging and hazardous substances.
Industry
The Green Party will encourage the design, production and purchase of durable, easily repaired and recyclable goods by:
- Creating container refund schemes;
- Setting a timeline for mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (manufacturers / importers taking responsibility for the entire life-cycle of the products they create);
- Requiring businesses to report publicly on their waste practices;
- Require domestic and imported products to be durable and recyclable.
Employment
The Green Party will encourage local communities including businesses to create meaningful work in the transition to waste free New Zealand.
Te Tiriti
The Green Party will:
- Ensure the culturally appropriate disposal of sewage;
- Support Maori efforts to protect sites from the negative impacts of waste.
Landfills and Hazardous Waste
The Green Party will:
- Phase out the use of landfills and incinerators replaing them with resource recovery systems;
- Ban the importation of hazardous substances that cannot be safely disposed;
- Ensure contaminated sites are identified, isolated and remediated.
Public Education
The Green Party will:
- establish a labelling scheme for biodegradable, reusable or recyclable products;
- require local authorities to publicise and promote waste reduction, composting, recycling, energy efficiency, grey water recycling and composting toilets.
