Your feedback sought: e-waste, agrichemicals, tyres and refrigerants
You are invited to share your views on whether Government should intervene to improve the management of four product waste streams – electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste); tyres; agrichemicals and farm plastics; and refrigerants and other synthetic greenhouse gases.
In the first years after implementation of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 the Government has encouraged voluntary measures, and there are 11 voluntary accredited product stewardship schemes as a result. These voluntary efforts have been a good start, diverting over 80,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. There is an opportunity to foster greater progress in waste minimisation and resource reuse through improved producer responsibility. The Minister for the Environment has decided the time has come to seriously consider appropriate mandatory approaches for selected priority waste streams
To support your feedback a discussion document has been released today that identifies a risk of environmental harm from these products being dumped in landfill unnecessarily or disposed of onto our land, air or waterways.
The first step, this consultation, is seeking feedback on whether we should go further and whether we have picked the right products.
The second step will be to consider in detail a range of options, including those recommended by industry working groups. This process would include close analysis of short-term and long-term economic, environmental and social costs and benefits, and consultation with potentially affected parties. Only after that would the Government consider what interventions, if any, to propose.
Consultation on Priority waste products for product stewardship intervention: A discussion document opened today 21 May 2014 and closes at 5 pm on 2 July 2014. Copies can be found on the Ministry for the Environment website www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/priority-waste-streams-may14/index.html and submissions can be made online at http://consultation.mfe.govt.nz/content/priority-waste-products-product-stewardship-intervention .
The Minister for the Environment’s press release announcing this consultation can be found via http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-seeking-feedback-dealing-harmful-waste. Information about product stewardship is on the Ministry website www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/waste/product-stewardship/index.html. You may also contact us on waste@mfe.govt.nz or 0800 499-700.
There will be a series of workshops held during the consultation period on the discussion document. Any interested party will be welcome to attend. The dates and venues for these meetings will be listed via the same link as the discussion document on Monday 26 May 2014.
Please feel free to pass this notice on to anyone you know who may be interested in making a submission.
We look forward to hearing from you. We have done our best to avoid duplicating this message, however, our apologies if your receive it more than once.
The Waste and Resources team, Ministry for the Environment