WasteMINZ welcomes the Government's announcement that it will be inviting New Zealanders to have their say on a new product stewardship plan for tyres and large batteries.

The Government 's plan will see manufacturers, sellers and users taking responsibility for ensuring old tyres and large batteries don’t end up in landfills or the environment.
 

WasteMINZ Sector Projects Mananger Sarah Pritchett says “While large batteries are not yet a major issue in New Zealand they will become so as our electric fleet increases and ages. It is excellent to see the Government progressing the regulated product stewardship scheme in a timely fashion so we can provide a solution for large batteries before they become a major issue. Not knowing what happens to a battery at the end of its life is one of the barriers to the uptake of EVs so this should go some way to removing this barrier."
 

The regulated product stewardship scheme would include a “product stewardship fee” charged at the time of purchase to cover collection and recycling at the end of a product’s life. The regulated product stewardship schemes support the shift to a low carbon, circular economy.

This will be achieved by ensuring all producers, importers, and retailers of tyres and large batteries play their part in the roll-out which will require schemes to provide waste product collection to encourage reuse and renewal.

Consultation on the regulations for tyres and large batteries will run until 16 December 2021. The Government will announce decisions in 2022.

© Scoop Media