August 06th, 2020

New Zealand has a waste problem.  We are disposing more and more waste into landfill.
Good news - the Government has just confirmed its plans to increase and expand the waste disposal levy over the next few years to divert material from landfill. It will use the revenue gathered from the waste levy for resource recovery and waste minimisation.  This decision follows wide public consultation which supports this plan.

A bit of background:

In 2008 the Government passed the Waste Minimisation Act which included a Waste Levy.  That meant that any waste sent to landfill incurred a charge of $10 per tonne.  This charge is ludicrously low.  Across the ditch in Australia, depending on the State, the waste levy is over $100/ tonne and in Europe it is much much more.

This money goes into a fund that is available for waste minimisation initiatives in communties.  So far it has funded some amazing projects.

So zero wasters are celebrating the New Zealand government's decision to raise the waste in New Zealand over the next few years to $60 per tonne, because there will be much more money available for waste minimisation initiatives.  

This will enable clever waste miniimisation ideas across the country to be supported, for example cardboard and plastic recycling plants and community resource recovery facilities.  And in doing so, it will grow jobs, promote recycling and lower carbon emissions.   A cause for celebration!

The Ministry for the Environment says "Increasing and expanding the levy will help recognise the real costs of waste, make it fairer for everyone and incentivise materials reuse and recycling rather than just ‘taking it to the tip’. 
The proposed levy increases are likely to have a minimal impact on a family’s weekly budget. The Ministry for the Environment estimates that when fully implemented, the new levy could increase the cost of the weekly council kerbside rubbish bag by about 25c, depending on individual council decisions."