Government departments have proposed a plan to ensure the thousands of tonnes of recycling sent overseas every year is actually being recycled — but have rejected a plea for a total ban on exports.
That’s disappointed Auckland lawyer Lydia Chai whose petition to halt plastic exports to developing countries drew more than 11,000 signatures.
“It is unethical for us to be relying on poorer countries, with not very good democratic systems, to be processing our waste,” she said.
In a response to her petition at select committee in June 2023, a senior official admitted: “We don’t know how much of this stuff being dumped and how much of it is being reused”.
That was because currently there was very little regulation of the industry. It was estimated about a quarter of New Zealand’s recycling was exported — equating to around 22,000 tones of plastic in 2022, with most going to Malaysia and Indonesia.
‘They wouldn’t pay money just to throw it away’ — industry executive
Waste and Recycling Industry Forum executive director Barney Irvine says high quality items were going overseas. “Customers pay hundreds of dollars a tonne for it and they use it to manufacture other products. They wouldn’t pay that money just to throw it away.”
A document released under the Official Information Act showed the Ministry for the Environment and Customs put a proposal to ministers last August.
The officials considered a total ban but decided it would “pose significant challenges” and “would lead to an increase in waste (that could be recycled or recovered offshore) going into landfill unnecessarily”.
They also considered doing nothing but the “government would have no oversight, or ability to manage or improve outcomes either domestically or overseas”. Both options were discounted.
In the end, officials proposed a middle ground — new legislation to replace the Waste Minimisation Act and Litter Act, which includes tougher rules for the sector.
The main elements were: A licencing regime for importers and exporters; national standards; better data; and enhanced compliance — including inspections and the ability to seize shipments.
Irvine said he broadly supported the plan but said it didn’t solve the underlying problem.
“We all want to see New Zealand take greater responsibility for its own waste — unfortunately, we don’t have enough infrastructure in the country at the moment to do that adequately.”
The plan from officials went to ministers under the previous government in August but nothing was done before the election. Environment Minister Penny Simmonds said she was currently getting advice on reform options and timings.
“My intent is to reform the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and Litter Act 1979 to ensure we have fit-for-purpose, modern waste legislation that gives us more options and flexibility to reduce and manage waste effectively and efficiently.”
Petitioner says Govt plan misses the point
Chai said she was sympathetic about the lack of infrastructure, but said the plan missed the point of her presentation. While she believed some of the items sent to Malaysia from countries such as New Zealand weren’t being recycled, even those items that were recycled had an impact.
“My point was simply that the recycling process inevitably leaches plastic into the environment and that’s a problem because of the sheer amounts that we do send to be processed.”
Malaysian environmental campaigner Pua Lay Peng has campaigned against developed countries sending their waste to hers.
She told 1News: “My message to the New Zealand Government is, if you also cannot handle your own waste and you send to a place that’s even weaker in terms of technology and environment awareness, do you think you are dumping your problem to other people that you created?”
‘We don’t want your waste’ — Malaysian campaigner
She said Malaysian authorities have cracked down on illegal recycling facilities but companies only had to self-report their environmental impacts which could be misleading.
“I hope people in New Zealand understand. We don’t want your waste.”
