Tauranga City Council and the Ministry for the Environment stepped in at short notice to support kerbside glass collection in Tauranga after private kerbside glass collection services were withdrawn in March 2018. “The reintroduction of this service and its operation since October 2018 has been a great success. It is on track to help divert from landfill 6,000 tonnes of glass waste generated in Tauranga each year,” Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage said today. “Prior to the support...

The Government has renewed the accreditation of a product stewardship scheme which has been preventing environmental harm by reducing the potential for illegal or unsafe discharges of used oil. “Used oil that was previously either dumped in garage backyards or down drains or sent to the Holcim cement kilns in Westport is now collected and carefully managed. The Recovering Oil Saves the Environment (R.O.S.E.) scheme has operated since 2011 and has also improved the storage of used oil at the sites it...

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced a significant investment in a new plant to create New Zealand’s first 100% recycled plastic food packaging range as part of the wider plan to tackle the plastic pollution challenge. A $3 million grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund is being made to Pact Group (NZ) Ltd. The grant will enable the company to create a range of 100% recycled food packaging across ten common product lines such as:...

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced more support for Wanaka Wastebusters to get more people involved in reducing waste. “We all need to take responsibility for reducing the impacts of waste and showing people how to do this is a great way to reduce waste and our greenhouse gas emissions from waste that goes to landfill,” says Eugenie Sage. “This initiative is particularly exciting because of its strong community focus.” $121,827 of funding from the Ministry for the Environment’s...

The ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, which takes effect on 1 July, is a step towards healthier oceans and giving nature a hand, says Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage. “New Zealanders are proud of our country’s clean, green reputation and want to help ensure we live up to it. Ending the use of single-use plastic shopping bags helps do that” says Eugenie Sage. “From tomorrow, 1 July, the ban will cover all retailers. People who take their own re-useable...

The Government is backing New Zealanders with innovative ideas to solve our waste crisis Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage said today as she opened a fresh round of Waste Minimisation Funding.  Applications to this funding round of the Waste Minimisation Fund open on today and close on 29 May 2019.  For more information on the Waste Minimisation Fund visit http://www.mfe.govt.nz/more/funding/waste-minimisation-fund. "I am excited to open this new round of Waste Minimisation Funding. The fund backs New Zealanders with innovative ideas for new projects that help tackle...

Government Ministers Damien O’Connor and Eugenie Sage are visiting the West Coast to see how flood recovery work is going and hear views of the local community. Rural Communities Minister and MP for West Coast-Tasman Damien O’Connor said good progress was being made in a number of areas and he and Eugenie Sage wanted to see what else needed to be done. “I understand services are being returned and work is underway to restore access. This morning I have been...

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced $381,000 in Government funding to enable farmers and growers to better deal with waste. The funding, from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund, will mean farmers and growers can more easily recycle or safely dispose of a wider range of on-farm waste such as agrichemicals, scrap metal, soft plastics and used oil. Rural recycling programme Agrecovery will manage the project by offering one-stop-shop events where farmers and growers can drop off...

In the lead up to Christmas the Green Party have launched a #wastefreeholidays campaign, aimed at reducing waste over the holidays. 

Regulations for mandatory phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags to be in force from 1 July 2019. Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage has today confirmed retailers will no longer be able to sell or give away single-use plastic shopping bags from 1 July 2019, after Cabinet agreed to the proposed regulations for a mandatory nationwide phase out of these bags. “Plastic shopping bags are a hazard for nature, particularly marine wildlife. They can also introduce harmful microplastics...