Taking responsibility for our waste

Closed 10 Dec 2021

Opened 15 Oct 2021

Contact

waste.legislation@mfe.govt.nz

Results updated 29 Mar 2023

The Government has announced its decisions:

From 15 October to 10 December 2021, the Ministry for the Environment consulted on proposals for a new waste strategy and on issues and options for developing new waste legislation.

Thank you to all who made a submission.

Overview

Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the highest generators of waste per person in the world. We use too much, waste too much and pollute too much – and this has negative impacts on the environment and contributes to climate change. 

Around the world, we use more resources than the planet can sustain. The way we live now is harming future generations. 

Everyone has a role to play to minimise waste and its impact on the environment. We know communities, businesses and local government are already taking a number of actions to reduce waste and make their resource use more efficient. And many are looking for ways to avoid creating waste altogether. 

We need to transform the way we think about and manage waste. 

The Government consulted on: 

  • a proposed new waste strategy that sets an innovative bold direction for everyone to transform the way we think about and manage waste
  • issues and options for developing new more comprehensive waste legislation to regulate the management of waste, and products and materials circulating in our economy. Once developed, the new legislation would replace the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and the Litter Act 1979).