Not-for-profit community enterprise Wastebusters is welcoming the beverage container return scheme proposed by the Government, saying its zero waste hubs in Wānaka and Alexandra are keen and ready to go.

Under the proposed container return scheme (CRS), a 20c refundable deposit would incentivise recycling of beverage containers, which currently lags in New Zealand at around 50 percent.

Wastebusters general manager Tony Pfeiffer said Wastebusters was thrilled to have a government proposal for a beverage container return scheme on the table, however it needs to go further to include milk containers.

Based on overseas evidence, the Environment Minister David Parker expects that a container return scheme would boost the recycling rate for beverage containers to 85-90 percent.

“It’s quite shocking that as a nation we buy over two billion drinks a year, but only one billion containers are recycled, meaning that the other billion containers are landfilled, stockpiled or become litter,” Tony said.

“I remember trading empty soft drink bottles in for cash back when I was a kid. You have to wonder why we got rid of a recycling deposit [and] refund system in the first place”.

The Government is proposing a mixed model of sites for container returns, using a combination of depots and supermarkets.

The package of proposals to transform recycling released by David on Sunday also included accepting the same materials for kerbside recycling all around the country, adding food scrap bins to kerbside collections and the mandatory separation of food scraps from rubbish for businesses. 

"We want a future where everyone reduces waste, reuses, and recycles. We know New Zealanders want to do the right thing. With these proposals, we’re putting the right foundations in place to bring our recycling systems up to global standards,” David said.

The Ministry for the Environment is keen to hear whether people support the proposals to transform recycling. Read more about the Government proposals here.

Submissions are open until May 8 2022, and can be made at https://environment.govt.nz/