Press Release – Science Media Centre
The government has announced problem plastics and some single-use plastics will be phased out, in three stages, by July 2025.
The outlawed plastics will include hard-to-recycle food and drink packaging and some single-use plastics, such as produce bags, straws, fruit labels, and cutlery, plates and bowls.
New Zealanders toss out an estimated 159 grams of plastic waste per person each day. It’s hoped the new policy will remove more than two billion single-use plastic items each year from our landfills and environment. A $50 million Plastics Innovation Fund is also launched today.
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