The country also publicized the launch of a fund, so as to look for substitutes for plastic. New Zealand has just made an announcement concerning the prohibition of single-use plastics between 2022 and 2025 in an attempt to improve environmental sustainability.
New Zealand's Plan to Ban Single-use Plastics
According to the Guardian, New Zealand will ban straws, plastic drink stirrers, and cutlery, and also PVC and polystyrene food and plastic materials for packaging drinks.
In spite of the reputation of New Zealand as one of the world's greenest countries, it has faced some challenges managing waste, bringing about problems in the fight against climate change. The previous year, a report from the government discovered that almost 60% of the rivers located in the country were polluted beyond acceptable extents.
While New Zealand in 2019 had already prohibited the use of plastic bags, this 2021 action will expand the prohibition of single-use plastics to specific items that usually end up in landfills and contaminate soil, waterways, and the ocean. The government also made an announcement of a pledge of about $50 million to the Plastics Innovation Fund, which will begin in November. This is to assist businesses to discover a substitute for plastic packaging.
Also Read: About 210,000 Tonnes of UK Plastic Waste Disposed and Burned in Turkey
The New Policy
New Zealand's environment minister, David Parker, said they estimate this new policy will get rid of over 2 billion single-use plastic items from landfills or environment every year.
And eliminating irrelevant and disruptive plastics will aid in reducing waste to landfill, boost the recycling system of the country, and promote alternatives that can be reusable or environmentally responsible.
The world is currently producing close to 300 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly. Fifty percent of all plastic produced is fashioned to be used just once, both plastic water bottles, cutlery and bags. These items take from 20 to 500 years to break down anywhere, causing harm to wildlife and causing pollution in the environment along the way.
Packaging New Zealand
New Zealand is joining a large number of countries that have taken action to stop plastic from adding to environmental degradation.
In 2020, England placed a ban on plastic straws, cotton buds, drink stirrers to check the use of some single-use plastics. Recently, two states in Australia namely: New South Wales and Western Australia, announced initiatives to discontinue dependence on plastic and prohibit harmful items by the end of 2022.
While most businesses and environmentalists are commending the efforts of the country to lessen the use of plastic, some highlighted that more things can and should be done before the correction of New Zealand's waste problem can happen.
The government should create a strategy to make the building and demolition industries more conscious of the environment, said a group of organizations involved in packaging. Presently, those industries is responsible for close to 50% of landfill waste.
Related Article: 20 Companies are Responsible for 55% of the World's Total Plastic Waste, Report Shows
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