Global Plastic Policy Reviews

This policy aims to change behaviours, and redesign products, services and systems to avoid using plastics, and enable plastic reuse and repair. Deposit return schemes have been introduced as well as standardisation of curbside collection. The plan places strict rules on compostable packaging (Ministry for the Environment, 2021). There is USD 100 million of funding for recycling infrastructure. Campaigns and education are included in the plan and USD 50 million for research and innovation (Ministry for the Environment, 2021).This policy does not appear to have a set of indicators to monitor its effects or its ability to meet its objectives (Office of Prime Minister’s Chief Scientific Advisor, 2022).

The evidence base was insufficient to review at the time of the assessment. However, some data shows that the 2019 bag ban, which is part of the Plastics Action Plan, has already prevented more than 1 billion plastic bags from being used, and the new ban on thin bags, which is also part of the Plastics Action Plan, could add a further reduction of 150 million bags per year (Mishra, 2023).

Furthermore New Zealand is the first country to implement a ban on thin plastic bags (Mishra, 2023), however its export of plastic waste to developing countries with low or non-existent environmental regulations to process such waste still remains an issue (Neilson, 2023).

(Uploaded in Nov 2023)