David Parker said New Zealand waste issues are one of the top 10 concerns for New Zealanders. Photo: 123RF
The government has announced a new recycling project that will prevent the equivalent of approximately 45,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2035.
The initiative aimed to have a standardised recycling service by 2027 and food scraps collection by 2030.
Environment Minister David Parker said the strategy represented a new era for New Zealand's waste system.
"New Zealand is one of the highest generators of waste per person in the world, every year producing about 750kg per person. At home, we only recycle and compost about one-third of household waste."
Waste issues were one of the top 10 concerns for New Zealanders, Parker said.
"The strategy - which received strong public support during consultation - commits us to becoming a low-emissions, low-waste circular economy by 2050.
"A circular economy means we keep resources in use for as long as possible and there is a shift away from the wasteful 'take - make - dispose' system."
The initiative involved a new waste strategy to set New Zealand's direction on waste for the next three decades, and a new and more comprehensive waste legislation.
"The way we create and manage waste is way behind many other developed countries, but with these improvements, we're putting the right foundations in place to bring our waste and recycling systems up to global standards," Parker said.
With the new project - named 'Getting Rid of Waste for a Circular Aotearoa New Zealand' - households in urban areas would have a standardised recycling service and a household food scraps collection.
It would be made clear what could or could not be recycled from home.
From February next year, all district and city councils would only accept glass bottles and jars; paper and cardboard; plastic bottles and containers from plastic types 1, 2, and 5; and aluminium and steel tins and cans in their recycling collections.
By 2030, the new strategy aimed to have all district and city councils providing food scraps (or food and garden waste) collections to households in urban areas.
Parker said kerbside food scrap collections would be a new service for many households.
"In 2019, waste was responsible for 4 percent of our total gross emissions, most of which was methane from decomposing of organic material in landfills.
"By 2035, kerbside food scrap collections will be preventing approximately 45,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent of methane emissions."
The measures would support social and economic changes to address waste problems, Parker said.
The strategy had three phases, with plans to guide the immediate priorities for the next five years.
"Our focus in the first phase is reducing waste emissions and improve recycling and recovery, as well as reducing how much is created in the first place.
"The new waste legislation, to be progressed during the next Parliamentary term, will provide clear roles and responsibilities for central and local government, and the legal framework needed to achieve the government's goals."
Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Parul Sood welcomed the government's new strategy.
It was important for all councils to be on the same page when it came to waste, Sood said.
But she said the council would be recycling less products in the future under the new guidelines.
"We currently accept all types of plastics it's not just the ones, twos and fives and we also accept Tetra Pak's in the mix."
About 16 percent of materials in recycling bins can not be recycled, which contaminates a bin and makes it unrecyclable.
Sood was hoping the new standardised recycling would make that clearer.
In Auckland there were many repeat offender items that turned up in the recycling like bagged rubbish, clothing, bread or chip bags.
The new legislation will replace both the Litter Act 1979 and the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, and the government intends to introduce the legislation to the House before this year's election.