Government announces consultation on a more effective landfill levy

Oliver Neighbourly Lead from One Tree Point

The Ministry for the Environment has opened consultation on a proposed expansion of the landfill levy.
Currently, disposing of waste in a landfill is generally cheaper and easier than alternatives like recycling, composting and reusing. Waste going into landfills has been steadily increasing. Only a small proportion of New Zealand’s waste is currently reused or recycled. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of household waste production per capita in the OECD.
The reality is that many resources sent to New Zealand landfills could be recycled, composted or reused. There are many reasons why this is not happening. The main ones are lack of incentives, and lack of easy, readily available alternatives. The relatively low cost of disposal to landfill and the higher cost of recovering and recycling materials leads to products that could be recycled being taken to landfill instead.
The proposed levy changes are initially balanced, to allow households and businesses to adjust while new and improved waste management systems are established, but also to minimise the risk of increased fly-tipping or illegal waste disposal. It is estimated that the levy changes would lead to a fee increase of about 35 cents per 65-litre household rubbish bag by 2023.
The Ministry has provided a six-page summary consultation document and the full consultation document (81 pages). There is an online submission tool, and a Facebook post for sharing with family, friends and interested parties.