Hon. Eugenie Sage at WasteMINZ Conference and Expo

Claudelands, Hamilton, 23 – 26 September 2019: In a speech that will expand on the NZ Government’s commitment to increased participation in the reduction of waste and enhancing the country’s circular economy, Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage, is set to make significant announcements in her address to the Conference and Expo of the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand (WasteMINZ) next Wednesday, 25 September.

The Minister commented on recycling on 10 May 2019. On 9 August 2019, Sage released a public consultation document titled, “Proposed priority products and priority product stewardship scheme guidelines” at the Sustainability Trust in Wellington, stating that “New Zealanders are proud of our country’s clean, green reputation and want to help ensure we live up to it.”

She added, “Well-designed product stewardship schemes ensure that those making, selling and using products all help take responsibility to recover the materials and avoid them ending up in landfills.”

With the Minister speaking on its third day, WasteMINZ Conference and Expo will gather together New Zealand’s leading exponents of positive change in the fields of waste minimisation, resource recovery, packaging design and land contamination of all types. Robert Kelman, from Reloop Pacific, will discuss best practice container deposit schemes, Doug Wooding of Ocean Recover Alliance speaks about the 8 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year, and Countdown’s Kiri Hannifan will focus on how the retailer works to deliver better outcomes for Aotearoa’s environment and communities. These are just three of the nine keynote speakers featured at the conference.

The Minister’s keynote address on Day 3 of the WasteMINZ Conference (Wednesday 25 September 2019), entitled ‘No time to waste: Creating Change …’ will include announcements on ways forward for the waste minimisation industry. Her speech will spearhead a number of critical discussions about the Waste Disposal Levy, a zero waste culture, managing risks with residential collections and land contaminants such as asbestos and lead.

Says WasteMINZ Chief Executive, Janine Brinsdon, ‘At a time when matters such as the China National Sword decision and Indonesia turning away contaminated containers are daily news, New Zealand can be confident that the best minds in the industry, academia and government are gathering next week to find useful and practical solutions to real issues. It will be of great benefit to hear the Minister’s announcements in a place where they can have immediate impact.’

The WasteMINZ Conference and Expo will be held at Claudelands, Hamilton, from 23rd to 26th September 2019, with topics of national and public interest targeted on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th to maximise impact and press coverage.

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