Today the Government rejected a petition to ban New Zealand’s plastic waste exports to developing countries, citing a lack of agreement with Australia to divert our waste exports there if such a ban was implemented.

Instead, the Government intends to focus on improving monitoring to ensure compliance with border controls and invest in New Zealand’s domestic recycling infrastructure. There is no mention of whether this will encourage a business-as-usual approach rather than reduce plastic production.

In September last year, the Parliamentary Environment Committee recommended by majority that New Zealand sets a deadline to phase out unlicensed plastic waste exports “to countries beyond Australia”. The Committee had stated that it was “unethical” for communities in Malaysia to bear the burden of New Zealand’s historic under-investment in plastics reprocessing infrastructure.

The Committee’s report was a response to a petition by Lydia Chai to ban the export of plastic waste to developing countries because the waste trade in Malaysia is causing significant health and environmental harms. Chai’s petition did not mention diverting waste to Australia.

Chai says the Government’s final decision to reject her petition “gives a lot of reasons for doing nothing”.

“Not only is there growing evidence that recycling is not a solution for most plastics, but the Government intends to rely on industry actors to self-report and be architects of their own plastic waste reduction initiatives. This is futile and solves nothing.”

The Government says it “could review the plastic waste export situation” in 2028. Chai says this is a “slap in the face” to Malaysians and the thousands of New Zealanders who supported her petition.

. The Government’s response to Lydia Chai’s petition was published today: https://bills.parliament.nz/v/4/f91c98ad-ab5a-4228-e413-08dd1d439809

· The Environment Committee’s report was published in September 2023: https://selectcommittees.parliament.nz/v/6/0c8f3daa-eec0-4dfd-76fa-08dbaa8106fc

· Lydia Chai’s petition calls for a ban on plastic waste exports to developing countries: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/stop-sending-our-plastic-waste-to-developing-countries

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