Yearbook 2021
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Tired of R the retired tyres problem Periodic government recommitment to environmental purity are to be welcomed, particularly those which effectively deal with hazardous waste The views expressed by Content Partner, Responsible Care Chief Executive Barry Dyer, may not necessarily be those of Responsible Care NZ
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egrettably, the latest government decision to regulate selective Product Stewardship requirements without adequate consideration of how this might best be achieved, are frustrating options for re-purposing products or removing them from the environment. Nobody would argue the need to better manage the ever-increasing waste swamping landfills and polluting New Zealand Inc. the latest pronouncement of more money will not, in itself, resolve this long-running environmental conundrum. Our waste disposal predicament is not new – we simply bury or export our waste, conflicting with our ‘Clean and Green’ persona, particularly plastic, electronic waste and tyres.
Most plastic and electronics were exported to countries where we assumed they were responsibly dealt with. Subsequent bans on imported waste by China and several other countries receiving our trash, highlighted the unacceptable reality of the harm our detritus was causing Renewed focus on how to address polluting stockpiles of old tyres reveals that New Zealand seems incapable of resolving our growing inventory of hazardous stockpiles throughout the country. A massive collection of waste chemicals to be cleaned up in Northland reveals the inadequacy of both site operators and enforcement agencies. Huge dumps of old tyres throughout the country undermine the efforts by a few companies to successfully recycle this valuable resource. Unsurprisingly, that is quite a challenge, especially in New Zealand Inc, hobbled by its plethora of regulations, local protest and inadequate infrastructure. Substantial government funding is now available to develop product stewardship schemes, including expanding an e-waste pilot project and focusing on the recycling of old tyres. The expectation is that we will invest in expanding onshore recycling efforts to demonstrate our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), expressed in the ‘Circular Economy’ concept of re-purposing unwanted products or disposing of them responsibly. Funding is not the primary issue - effective solutions are. Closer to home, successful initiatives are led by industry colleague Plastics
