[News] New Zealand Banned More Single-use Plastics from Beginning of Oct. 2022


Release time:

Oct 22,2022

Single-use drink stirrers by plastic, most meat trays by plastic and cotton buds by plastic were put in the Sale or Manufacture Ban List.

“This is the first group of the most problematic plastic products to be banned in a progressive phase out over the next three years,” said by Environment Minister David Parker.

“Stopping the sales of these plastic products will reduce waste to landfill, improve our recycling systems and encourage reusable or environmentally responsible alternatives.”

Plastics that are banned from sale from 1 October 2022 are:

  • Single-use plastic drink stirrers
  • Single-use plastic cotton buds
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pre-formed food trays and containers*
  • Polystyrene takeaway packaging for food and beverages
  • Expanded polystyrene food and beverage retail packaging (such as foam takeaway containers or some instant noodle cups)
  • Plastics with additives that make them fragment into micro-plastics

“On average, every year each New Zealander sends about 750kgs of waste to landfill. Some products can’t be recycled and are unnecessary,” said by David Parker.  

"These are the first group of plastic products to be banned since the ban on single-use plastic bags in 2019. That has meant more than one billion fewer plastic bags have ended up in landfills or the ocean,"

“Recent announcements on investments from the Plastics Innovation Fund, as well as funding to help co-design a product stewardship scheme for plastic packaging also show this Government’s commitment to tackling the problems caused by plastic waste.

In mid-2023, the next group of single-use plastics to be phased out will include single use plastic plates, bowls, cutlery, single-use plastic produce bags and non-compostable produce labels. Other PVC and polystyrene food and beverage packaging will be banned from mid-2025.

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