Single-use plastics

As part of the Government’s Waste Minimalization Act to phase out problematic plastics, regulations have been put in place to ban the sale and manufacture of products that contain certain plastics.

Plastic is one of our greatest environmental challenges. It regularly ends up as waste in our landfills, our moana and whenua. Hard-to-recycle packaging and products can interfere with our recycling systems and are often used only once before being disposed of.

Shifting away from hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics will help reduce plastic waste, improve our recycling systems and protect our environment. This shift is also part of a wider ambition to move Aotearoa New Zealand towards a low-emissions, low-waste economy.

Read more on the bans and what it means for you and your business on the Ministry for the Environment website or download the latest NZ plastics ban guide for business factsheet [PDF].