28 April 2005

Greens welcome Auckland's legal 'No Junk Mail' sign

Green Party Waste-free Spokesperson Mike Ward is congratulating Auckland's local councils for their moves towards anti-junk mail bylaws.

North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney authorities are drafting rules that include penalties of up to $20,000 for distribution of fliers to letterboxes with signs like 'no junk mail' or 'no circulars'.

"For too long local government has had to accept the role and cost of collecting and burying, or to a lesser degree recycling, unnecessary rubbish," said Mr Ward, a former Nelson councillor.

"Junk mail comprises a major contribution to the 10 million kg New Zealanders throw away every day, so it is encouraging to see local government giving a lead to central government and putting some barriers in the way of this major source of waste.

"Quite apart from the issue of all that paper being wasted, junk mail also leads to more junk generally. Moves such as these in Auckland will hopefully also discourage New Zealanders' fetish for unneeded consumer goods, many of which contribute little to our quality of life but increase our debt and fill our wheelie bins.

Mr Ward has a Private Member's Bill in the ballot that is designed to put teeth into the New Zealand Waste Strategy by imposing landfill bans and levies and making producers meet the cost of resource recovery on their products at the end of their useful life.

ENDS

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