Latest news with #SueCoutts
Scoop
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Petition Launched As Inquiry Looms
Press Release – Zero Waste Network For the past five years, the Zero Waste Network and our allies have successfully resisted new incinerators on the front lines. We are now taking the fight to Parliament to deliver a lasting solution. Lets keep Aotearoa incinerator free! On the eve of a major Board of Inquiry that will assess if a large-scale rubbish incinerator proposed for Te Awamutu can go ahead, the Zero Waste Network and allies are launching a new petition to keep the country incinerator-free. 'We want central government to ban new waste incinerators at a national level because of the serious human health, climate and air pollution impacts. The proposal in Te Awamutu would emit toxins like dioxin and heavy metals which are likely to result in premature deaths, infertility, increased rates of cancer and birth defects. There is no safe level of exposure to dioxin,' said Sue Coutts, spokesperson for the Network. 'We know that burning carbon-intensive wastes like plastics emit more greenhouse gases and pollutants than coal. The Te Awamutu proposal was cited by the EPA as having global climate implications.' 'Right now, small communities, often in provincial or rural areas, are being targeted by these incinerator companies. These communities are bearing the burden of stopping these toxic projects. This is why central government leadership is so important.' 'Environment Minister Penny Simmonds rightly called in the Te Awamutu proposal for consideration by a Board of Inquiry. This will allow a more thorough assessment of impacts than had it been considered at local government level. However, this process does not stop other projects from coming forward.' 'To get a sense of the aggressiveness of the industry, there were three projects that sought to be included under the Fast Track Approvals regime: this Te Awamutu project, one in Tolaga Bay on the East Cape, and a very large incinerator in Waimate. Only one of those projects, in Waimate, was ultimately included in the legislation's initial listing, but is now unable to proceed because the land deal fell apart.' 'For the past five years, the Zero Waste Network and our allies have successfully resisted new incinerators on the front lines. We are now taking the fight to Parliament to deliver a lasting solution. Let's keep Aotearoa incinerator free!'
Scoop
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Petition Launched As Inquiry Looms
On the eve of a major Board of Inquiry that will assess if a large-scale rubbish incinerator proposed for Te Awamutu can go ahead, the Zero Waste Network and allies are launching a new petition to keep the country incinerator-free. 'We want central government to ban new waste incinerators at a national level because of the serious human health, climate and air pollution impacts. The proposal in Te Awamutu would emit toxins like dioxin and heavy metals which are likely to result in premature deaths, infertility, increased rates of cancer and birth defects. There is no safe level of exposure to dioxin,' said Sue Coutts, spokesperson for the Network. 'We know that burning carbon-intensive wastes like plastics emit more greenhouse gases and pollutants than coal. The Te Awamutu proposal was cited by the EPA as having global climate implications.' 'Right now, small communities, often in provincial or rural areas, are being targeted by these incinerator companies. These communities are bearing the burden of stopping these toxic projects. This is why central government leadership is so important.' 'Environment Minister Penny Simmonds rightly called in the Te Awamutu proposal for consideration by a Board of Inquiry. This will allow a more thorough assessment of impacts than had it been considered at local government level. However, this process does not stop other projects from coming forward.' 'To get a sense of the aggressiveness of the industry, there were three projects that sought to be included under the Fast Track Approvals regime: this Te Awamutu project, one in Tolaga Bay on the East Cape, and a very large incinerator in Waimate. Only one of those projects, in Waimate, was ultimately included in the legislation's initial listing, but is now unable to proceed because the land deal fell apart.' 'For the past five years, the Zero Waste Network and our allies have successfully resisted new incinerators on the front lines. We are now taking the fight to Parliament to deliver a lasting solution. Let's keep Aotearoa incinerator free!'
Scoop
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Research Proves A Container Deposit Return Scheme Will Cut Litter And Waste Fast In New Zealand
The new 'Littered with evidence research from Reloop clearly shows Container Deposit Return Schemes dramatically reduce beverage container litter across diverse regions worldwide. The evidence in favour of the schemes effectiveness is consistent and … A quarter of all our litter, by volume, in Aotearoa, is discarded drink containers, polluting our rivers, roadsides, parks and beaches 1. New international comparison research shows New Zealand could halve that litter, fast with a Container Deposit Return Scheme, like 58 countries and states have already done 2. Across the world, the Reloop research shows, countries with Container Deposit Return Schemes have reduced their litter by more than half, on average. A well-designed scheme, like the 5.5 million people in Slovakia enjoy, might cut our littered drink bottles, cans and cartons by as much as 75% – and massively increase the proportion of drink containers that get recycled from 54% to over 85%. Slovakia introduced a Container Deposit Return Scheme in January 2022 in which people can claim back a deposit of €0.15 (NZD$0.26) on each container they return. In Summer 2021, before the scheme, metal beverage cans and PET beverage bottles represented 10% and 11% of all litter collected in Slovakia, respectively (by count). By Summer 2023, just 18 months after launch, cans and PET bottles each made up only 2% of litter – down 78% and 72% 3. Beverage containers make up over half of all food and drink packaging sold globally—and the waste is staggering. In 2024 alone, 1.3 trillion drinks were sold in PET, glass, or metal containers, worldwide. Locally, a whopping 2.6 billion drinks are sold in containers here in New Zealand each year. Every day, about 4 million of those drink bottles, cans and cartons get landfilled or littered in Aotearoa. That's why they are such a common sight in our towns and along rural roads and why so many end up in our ocean. The new 'Littered with evidence' research from Reloop clearly shows Container Deposit Return Schemes dramatically reduce beverage container litter across diverse regions worldwide. The evidence in favour of the schemes' effectiveness is consistent and overwhelming. Countries and states with Container Deposit Return Schemes for beverage packaging see rapid and dramatic reductions in beverage container litter—in some cases cutting it by far more than half in just a few years. 'The development work for a New Zealand Container Deposit Return Scheme has already been done. The update to our waste and litter laws, proposed last month, paves the way by ensuring those who make or import packaging pay for how it's handled. All we need now is the ambition from our MPs to modernise how we reduce waste and litter and catch us up with the rest of the world,' says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa. All our parks, streets and beaches look better with less litter. Litter-free places are safer for children and wildlife. Less plastic litter means less plastic in our oceans and less micro-plastics everywhere. As well as dramatic cuts in litter, it's also been shown Container Deposit Return Schemes improve the quality of recycling, making more high-quality recycled material available. Making new drink containers from recycled materials produces less greenhouse gas emissions than making containers from virgin plastic, glass or aluminium. When companies avoid using raw materials, they help reduce pollution and other environmental harm, such as mining. Surveys show 80% of New Zealanders want a Container Deposit Return Scheme here. Many fondly remember returning bottles to claim deposits in the 1970s and 1980s. 'Where the previous Government fell short, this Government has an opportunity to implement a popular and tangible, low-cost policy,' says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa. Note: 1 Keep NZ Beautiful National Litter Audit 2019 – Total beverage containers found in litter 4,956 units / 106.98 kg. 2 Littered with evidence: Proof that deposit return systems work, Reloop, June 2025 – Global average litter reduction of 57% for countries with Container Deposit Return Schemes.
Scoop
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Research Proves A Container Deposit Return Scheme Will Cut Litter And Waste Fast In New Zealand
A quarter of all our litter, by volume, in Aotearoa, is discarded drink containers, polluting our rivers, roadsides, parks and beaches 1. New international comparison research shows New Zealand could halve that litter, fast with a Container Deposit Return Scheme, like 58 countries and states have already done 2. Across the world, the Reloop research shows, countries with Container Deposit Return Schemes have reduced their litter by more than half, on average. A well-designed scheme, like the 5.5 million people in Slovakia enjoy, might cut our littered drink bottles, cans and cartons by as much as 75% - and massively increase the proportion of drink containers that get recycled from 54% to over 85%. Slovakia introduced a Container Deposit Return Scheme in January 2022 in which people can claim back a deposit of €0.15 (NZD$0.26) on each container they return. In Summer 2021, before the scheme, metal beverage cans and PET beverage bottles represented 10% and 11% of all litter collected in Slovakia, respectively (by count). By Summer 2023, just 18 months after launch, cans and PET bottles each made up only 2% of litter – down 78% and 72% 3. Beverage containers make up over half of all food and drink packaging sold globally—and the waste is staggering. In 2024 alone, 1.3 trillion drinks were sold in PET, glass, or metal containers, worldwide. Locally, a whopping 2.6 billion drinks are sold in containers here in New Zealand each year. Every day, about 4 million of those drink bottles, cans and cartons get landfilled or littered in Aotearoa. That's why they are such a common sight in our towns and along rural roads and why so many end up in our ocean. The new 'Littered with evidence' research from Reloop clearly shows Container Deposit Return Schemes dramatically reduce beverage container litter across diverse regions worldwide. The evidence in favour of the schemes' effectiveness is consistent and overwhelming. Countries and states with Container Deposit Return Schemes for beverage packaging see rapid and dramatic reductions in beverage container litter—in some cases cutting it by far more than half in just a few years. "The development work for a New Zealand Container Deposit Return Scheme has already been done. The update to our waste and litter laws, proposed last month, paves the way by ensuring those who make or import packaging pay for how it's handled. All we need now is the ambition from our MPs to modernise how we reduce waste and litter and catch us up with the rest of the world," says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa. All our parks, streets and beaches look better with less litter. Litter-free places are safer for children and wildlife. Less plastic litter means less plastic in our oceans and less micro-plastics everywhere. As well as dramatic cuts in litter, it's also been shown Container Deposit Return Schemes improve the quality of recycling, making more high-quality recycled material available. Making new drink containers from recycled materials produces less greenhouse gas emissions than making containers from virgin plastic, glass or aluminium. When companies avoid using raw materials, they help reduce pollution and other environmental harm, such as mining. Surveys show 80% of New Zealanders want a Container Deposit Return Scheme here. Many fondly remember returning bottles to claim deposits in the 1970s and 1980s. "Where the previous Government fell short, this Government has an opportunity to implement a popular and tangible, low-cost policy," says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa. Note: 1 Keep NZ Beautiful National Litter Audit 2019 - Total beverage containers found in litter 4,956 units / 106.98 kg. 2 Littered with evidence: Proof that deposit return systems work, Reloop, June 2025 - Global average litter reduction of 57% for countries with Container Deposit Return Schemes. 3 Before and after: How deposit return systems cut beverage container litter, Reloop, April 2024
Scoop
25-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ's First Chance In 20 Years To Catch Up On Waste
Press Release – Zero Waste Network Countries around the world already have these schemes in place and are realising remarkable results. New Zealand should follow the best examples from around the world and create a producer responsibility framework that works for both reuse and high The Government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter. However, last week's budget slashed funding for innovations that reduce waste, an illogical move that risks hobbling the government's own waste proposals before they are out of the starting gate. 'Our waste and litter laws are really old, so we've fallen well behind most similar countries. Future-proofing how we reduce waste is really popular, with 60% of us wanting more effective reuse and recycling, ' says Sue Coutts of the Zero Waste Network Aotearoa. The current Waste Act was passed in 2008 and the Litter Act in 1979. 'The proposed law update is a good move to a clear, fair way of reducing waste, in which those who make or import packaging pay for how it's handled. This is known as 'extended producer responsibility' or 'product stewardship'. With this proposed law update, we could get a container deposit return scheme for the 2+ billion beverage containers we use every year.' 'It would also open the door to more stewardship schemes for e-waste, textiles, and all types of packaging.' 'Countries around the world already have these schemes in place and are realising remarkable results. New Zealand should follow the best examples from around the world and create a producer responsibility framework that works for both reuse and high quality recycling.' 'We need waste solutions that deliver real measurable results for our environment, communities and economy. Extended producer responsibility takes the burden off ratepayers and councils, while creating jobs and income streams for communities and keeping valuable resources in use.' 'With waste levy revenues returned to waste cutting innovation, and more ambition from our MPs to modernise how we reduce waste and litter, we can put the systems in place to effectively deal with resources before they become waste.'
