Waste

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Not set out on their website.

• Establish an independent agency similar to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority that will work with central and local government, business, the community and the education sector to implement zero waste policies and legislation.
• Develop a set of natural resources accounts that will be used to monitor the quality and rate of use of natural resources.
• Phase out the use of landfills and incinerators replaing them with resource recovery systems.
• Establish a labelling scheme for biodegradable, reusable or recyclable products. (more here)

• The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 was passed by Labour. Labour wants toencourage New Zealanders to deal with waste in a smarter, more co-ordinatedway so that we use our resources sustainably. We want to reduce our impact on the environment, while maximising commercial opportunity and new business
  opportunities.
• Central government needs to provide clearer direction on how to minimise waste and on the balance between waste and recyclables. We believe more emphasis could be applied to ‘front-of-pipe’ solutions by focusing on how we can reduce the potential for waste at the very beginning of production and design.
• Product stewardship schemes under the Waste Minimisation Act need to be widelydeployed. Implementation of the Act has languished under National, and few schemes have been established. The first scheme Labour will set up will be for e-waste, including analogue TV sets, so that these are not dumped wholesale into
  landfills when the digital switchover begins in September 2013.
• Labour will ensure that product stewardship schemes are widely deployed, and willurgently set up a scheme for e-waste.
• Labour will use product stewardship schemes to reduce waste and to encourage ways of commercialising waste where there is a potential market.
• A key part of waste minimisation is to make producers, importers, retailers andconsumers take responsibility for the environmental effects of their products ina ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach. This has the potential to greatly improve how we dealwith some of the more difficult waste such as electronic goods.There needs to be an effective system for managing the disposal of hazardous
  waste.
• Labour will ensure that policy and practice for the management anddisposal of hazardous waste is monitored and reported on and, where appropriate, enhancements implemented. (more here)

Not set out on their website.

Not set out on their website.

Not set out on their website.

Not set out their website.