WELLINGTON, Nov 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The New Zealand government is taking the next steps needed, to better manage used tyres and large batteries, and is inviting New Zealanders to have their say.
“Our 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,” Environment Minister, David Parker, said in a statement today.
The plan proposes 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 will help ensure a more sustainable legacy for future generations, by supporting the shift to a low carbon, circular economy, Parker said.
Every year about 6.5 million tyres are imported into New Zealand. When they reach their end of life, only 30 percent are exported, recycled or used for other purposes, such as silage weights on the farm. The rest go to landfill or are illegally dumped, causing significant risks of fire and toxic emissions, Parker said.
“The Tyrewise product stewardship scheme, which has been accredited, gives us the chance to reuse valuable materials and at the same time reduce environmental problems,” he said.
The scheme for tyres is the last piece of the puzzle, and follows the introduction of the National Environmental Standard for outdoor tyre storage in May, 2021, and the March opening of the Golden Bay Cement plant, where tyres are used as fuel, reducing the amount of coal required, the minister said.
Transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires major increases in renewable energy and electric vehicles, and both require large batteries. It’s estimated that by 2030 about 84,000 large batteries could reach end of use each year, up from an estimated 1,000 in 2020, he said.
“Large batteries are a new product, and we’re taking action now before they become a burden for councils and communities, and before they harm the environment,” Parker said.
New Zealand is one of the highest generators of waste per person in the world, he said.
Consultation on the regulations for tyres and large batteries will run until Dec 16. The government will announce decisions in 2022.
The next two priority products for regulated product stewardship will be farm waste (agrichemicals and farm plastics) and refrigerants in late 2022, Parker said.– NNN-AGENCIES
