The second round of the national plastics phase out will kick in on 1 July with plastic produce bags and stickers, plates, bowls, cutlery and straws all being taken off the shelves. Photo: Ministry for Environment
It's been six months since recycling rules were standardised across the country - but there's concern the nation's next move on tackling plastic waste is stagnating.
This year was supposed to see the rollout of the third tranche of moves to phase out single use plastic that began back in October 2022.
This year should've seen all PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging gone - but the Ministry for the Environment says it's waiting for decision from Cabinet on that - and even if it's progressed, nothing would happen until mid-2026 - a whole year after originally signalled.
Sue Coutts from the Zero Waste Network Aotearoa says we can't afford any delays; plastic is turning up in a myriad places it shouldn't and it's not fair on manufacturers who already got their act together.
Also joining the conversation is Hannah Judd, campaign lead for Plastic Free July.
She says even if the plastic problem feels overwhelming, there are little things people can do to minimise it.
