Latest news with #MinistryForTheEnvironment

RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
New recycling rules one year on
It's now been more than a year since legislation aligned recycling rules for most of the country, how has that gone? The changes meant only plastics numbered 1, 2 and 5 would be collected by kerbside recyclers and that all lids would have to be removed and put in the rubbish. At the time of the change in February last year 16 per cent of items in recycling bins was typically not able to be recycled and were contaminating bins. The alignment was for all councils with kerbside recycling to follow the same rules, as previously they differed per region. So now that it has been more than a year since the changes, how have they gone, and how much of our plastic is still being bundled off to buyers overseas? The Ministry for the Environment's general manager of waste systems and operations Shaun Lewis. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.

RNZ News
12-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
New facility to recycle construction waste near Huntly
A new facility near Huntly will process more than 60 tonnes of construction waste per hour, aiming to divert over 100,000 tonnes of construction waste from landfill. Building researchers BRANZ say typically 40 to 50 per cent of all construction waste goes to landfill. The $16 million Green Gorilla facility in Rotowaro opened this week. The project was co-funded by a $4 million grant from the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Fund. The facility will be taking waste from South Auckland, Waikato, Thames-Coromandel, and the Bay of Plenty. Green Gorilla chief executive is Elaine Morgan. Photo: Supplied by Green Gorilla