Council, along with the Waste Management Institute New Zealand Incorporated and Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners, co-signed an advocacy letter to the Minister for the Environment and officials urging greater progress towards the implementation of a container return scheme (CRS).
Container return schemes encourage consumers and businesses to return beverage containers for recycling and/or re-use. They are highly effective and internationally trusted mechanisms for increasing recycling rates and improving environmental outcomes. The letter aims to highlight broad support for the scheme and encourage action from the ministry to prioritise the initiative as a sustainable and practical solution to improve waste outcomes.
Stacey White, Council’s Waste Management Officer said, “It is estimated that a considerable amount of empty beverage containers end up in landfills or littering streets, public spaces, streams, beaches and the ocean. We support a CRS scheme, but at this stage we are not prescribing or promoting a specific model. All details, including potential financial impacts will be considered in the future. The success of any model will depend on support from a range of stakeholders and community engagement.”
