Anti-waste organisation Takeaway Throwaways will deliver a petition to Parliament on Thursday 12 May, calling on the Government to ban throwaway serviceware for food and drink takeaways and to commit policy and investment to getting accessible reuse systems off the ground instead.

The petition, which has already been signed by almost 10,000 people, will be received by the Minister for the Environment, Hon David Parker, on behalf of Parliament.

“We’re delivering this petition because New Zealanders are deeply concerned about waste and plastic pollution, and takeaway food and drink packaging is one of the world’s main sources of plastic pollution and litter,” says Takeaway Throwaways Policy Spokesperson, Hannah Blumhardt.

“While we welcome the Government’s recent single-use plastic bans, these cover just a small fraction of single-use serviceware items. And, without a policy programme to support alternative reuse systems, businesses may just switch to handing out single-use items made of other materials that also cause environmental and public health problems” Blumhardt says.

“The problem isn’t just about plastic, but the throwaway, single-use system where we use things like cups, containers and soy fish just once, before throwing them away.”

“This ‘take-make-dispose’ approach is breaching all kinds of planetary boundaries, leaving resource depletion, pollution, biodiversity loss and global warming in its wake.”

“We can’t recycle our way out of this problem. And compostables aren’t the answer either, as the Ministry for the Environment made clear in a recent position statement on compostable products.”

“All signs point to the need for laws and investment to go to setting up reusable alternatives that help us not to make waste in the first place.”

“This isn’t about lumping all the responsibility on individuals to bring their own cups and containers, but putting in place systems where people can borrow reusables and bring them back later. Systems like this already exist around the world. In New Zealand, we have great initiatives, like Reusabowl, Again Again, CupCycling, mug libraries and more.”

“But, reuse systems currently compete against cheap, single-use items, and ongoing investment in recycling and landfill services. Government support is needed to shift the balance so reuse can become accessible, affordable and available for everyone.”

“The thousands of people who have signed our petition are saying that while the single-use option needs to go, it’s not enough just to ban things. Government must also actively build the reusable alternative through targeted policy, regulatory incentives and investment.”

“Ending single-use and embracing reuse is a system shift, but it’s not rocket science. It can be done; it’s how we used to do things. Overseas, countries are starting to implement thoughtful and ambitious policies to make this shift. It’s time we step up too” says Blumhardt.

ENDS

The petition handover is not open to the public, but media attendees are welcome to register to attend. To register, please contact Hannah@takeawaythrowaways.nz

Media contact

Hannah Blumhardt, 021 027 969 30, Hannah@takeawaythrowaways.nz

The online petition (open for signatures until 11:59PM on Wednesday 11 May 2022)

https://community.greenpeace.org.nz/petitions/takeaway-throwaways-for-food-and-drink-end-single-use-return-to-reuse

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