Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Waste Plans A Win For Employment, Climate And Environment

“We are absolutely thrilled with the government’s announcement that it will invest in recycling and change the waste levy. These are bold and important steps that will create employment in communities right throughout the country, reduce emissions and address the crisis in plastic waste and food wastes,” said Marty Hoffart, chairperson of the Zero Waste Network Aotearoa.

“People across the country know that recycling is not working. The $124 million investment will build onshore capacity for real recycling. We don’t want to see more recycling going to landfills and don’t want it shipped offshore to pollute other places. In the age of climate change and Covid-19, we have to urgently build our own systems to deal with the valuable resources that we currently call ‘waste’. When we do this, we create employment and innovation.”

“Reuse and recycling are major job creators; they provide opportunities to use materials and build community resilience to change. Resource recovery is the future. Landfilling and offshoring waste are not.”

“The changes to the Waste Levy are smart and essential to creating a real pathway towards the circular economy. We cannot go on with the ‘take-make-waste’ linear way of business anymore. We have to get smarter with valuable resources - and with our environment and climate that bear the brunt of landfilling. The waste levy will allow us to create the wider infrastructure across the country.”

“We have over 100 members in every region of the country. These are vital hubs and projects in their community supported by the waste levy: Wānaka Wastebusters, Xtreme Zero Waste (Raglan), the Seagull Centre in Thames, the Waiheke Resources Trust, Para Kore, Pacific Vision Aotearoa, South Waikato Achievement Trust and dozens of others.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Waste accounts for 4% of New Zealand’s emissions - much of which comes from food waste in landfills. Dealing with this as a resource provides us a perfect opportunity to address several issues: climate mitigation, food security, soil health and community employment. Changes to the waste levy will allow us to do this.”

“We appreciate the leadership and motivation of the Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage in advancing a serious waste agenda. New Zealanders register plastic waste as their number one environmental concern, and what she is doing will mean that the right structures are created to deal with it over the long term.”

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.