The government of New Zealand will move to ban non-compostable fruit stickers in response to a huge new report about single-use plastic. Compostable apple stickers do exist but are not in wide-use.
This approach is part of a response to report from the Prime Minister's chief scientist, alongside a host of other measures. The Government are looking to follow up on the ban of single-use plastic bags, which it sees as having been a huge success.
Prime Minister Ardern is particularly invested in the policy programme, noting repeatedly that the number one thing she receives letters about is reducing waste. Officials want to make clear that the government is not against all plastic - just single-use non-recyclable plastic. Around 30 per cent of plastic produced is single-use. It is very keen to see this type of plastic not being produced in New Zealand at all, and only wishes to ban things for which there are decent more biodegradable alternatives.
Since the 1950s 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced and over 80 per cent of it has ended up in landfills or discarded into the environment. New Zealand has serious problems with managing its waste, compounded by the recent decision of China to stop buying plastic waste.
The government have proposed raising the waste levy by up to $50 over the next three years, from $10 a tonne to $60 a tonne in 2023. The Provincial Growth Fund has also allocated $40m for projects that turn waste into useful products. Polling suggests the public will back further moves to restrict single-use plastics.
