WELLINGTON, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand will phase out more single-use plastics, the government announced today (Sunday).
A report, Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand, was released by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Prof Juliet Gerrard, which highlighted New Zealand’s position in plastics use, and gave recommendations for further changes.
Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, welcomed the report. “Many New Zealanders, including many children, write to me about plastic — concerned with its proliferation over the past decade, and the mounting waste ending up in our oceans. I share this concern for our natural environment.”
Ardern said, the government is pledged to take further steps on plastic wastes. The measures include: shifting away from low-value and hard-to-recycle plastic, moving away from single-use packaging and beverage containers, made of hard-to-recycle PVC and polystyrene, and stimulating innovation and development of solutions to the soft plastic problem.
“Our goal must be to make New Zealand an economy where plastic rarely becomes waste or pollution,” said Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage.
Single-use plastic bags in shops, have been banned in New Zealand since July this year.
