Media Release

24th September 2018

Waste Forum: New Zealand’s Response to China’s Trash Ban featuring Eugenie Sage

On October 4th 2018, the Victoria Development Society is hosting a panel discussion featuring Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage, Wellington City Councillor Iona Pannett, CEO of Flight Plastics Keith Smith, and Lyn Mayes of The Packaging Forum. This public event is an opportunity for meaningful, solutions-oriented discussion on the global waste crisis.

In 2017, China put a stop to imports of various types of recyclable materials, leaving New Zealand and many other countries around the world with growing stockpiles of unsellable waste. As New Zealanders continue to pump out 734kg of trash per year (the 10th highest per capita in the developed world) the issue of how we manage waste becomes more problematic.

Despite the widespread public awareness of the problems created by single-use plastic bags, these represent a mere drop in the ocean to what we produce: how will we deal with the plethora of other disposable products we use? Is recycling the answer, or a broken system which needs to be replaced? Should the packaging industry take more responsibility for stemming waste production at the source? Can government legislation alone solve this problem?

The panel will be chaired by Waste-Ed, a Wellington social enterprise formed to educate and advocate around waste consciousness, who will be asking our panellists tough questions about the action necessary to tackle this crisis at the individual, local and government level.

This event is hosted by the Victoria Development Society, a student organisation on campus at Victoria University that aims to promote awareness of global social and environmental justice issues such as sustainable development, climate change, fair trade and human rights.

What: Panel discussion on New Zealand’s waste crisis featuring Eugenie Sage

When: 5.30pm, Thurs 4th October 2018

Where: MCLT103, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington

Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/2268830400015437/

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