The announcement today by the Hon Eugenie Sage on priority waste products is a much overdue but welcome step towards regulated product stewardship for electronic waste as well as other critical waste streams such as tyres and plastic packaging. In 2017, a United Nations report identified New Zealand as one of the world’s largest generators of electronic waste and as the only OECD country without any national regulations.

“This announcement paves the way for regulated product stewardship schemes for ewaste and comes just in time before the current Government term ends,” said Laurence Zwimpfer, Chair of the eDay Trust. “We stressed the importance of this to the Minister when she was first appointed three years ago, and with the election clock ticking, we were getting anxious that it might be put off until a new government forms.”

“We do have to acknowledge the efforts of Minister Sage and the team in the Ministry for the Environment in getting this over the line in three years; the previous government was unable to achieve this in nine years,” said Mr Zwimpfer.

“We are particularly pleased that the Minister has decided on a comprehensive process that we understand includes all categories of waste electrical and products. This will give New Zealand the opportunity to catch up after a decade of inaction.”

“We look forward to this being progressed as rapidly as possible with the development of WMA regulations and a nationwide product stewardship scheme. Given the amount of effort already invested by industry groups and the numerous consultations that have already taken place, we hope this won’t take too long,” Mr Zwimpfer concluded.

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