New Zealand’s Environmental Future: Waste Management, Legislation & Innovation Updates

Good morning to you all. It’s my pleasure to attend your cornerstone event of the year, and to do so in my capacity as the newly minted Minister for the Environment.  I’d like to begin by acknowledging WasteMINZ Chair Parul, and the board, CEO Nic and team, and all the delegates here today.

Since taking on the Environment portfolio a little over a month ago, I have been focused on what we need to do to ensure New Zealand’s environmental management is practical, effective, and grounded in real-world outcomes.

I am not a career politician. I am an old-school pragmatist with deep rural roots and I bring a strong interest in how policy translates into real on the ground action and results, particularly in sectors like yours that are critical to both environmental protection and economic performance.

It’s really important to acknowledge the work your sector does across the board, and particularly WasteMINZ’ role bringing a real-world perspective when it comes to policy development.

I know this sector has engaged constructively with government over some time, and I look forward to getting to know you and continuing that relationship.

I recently had a great trip to Hawkes Bay – my first ministerial visit – to Tyrewise and the Henderson Road Transfer Station.

I look forward to visiting more businesses and seeing the progressive work so many of you are doing in the coming weeks and months. These visits, and the constructive, informed feedback from your sector, are vital to understanding both the opportunities and challenges this sector faces.

We are a government determined to drive policy and regulatory shifts that enable productivity in New Zealand – but within the caveat of meeting essential environmental limits.

I am determined that we can grow our economy – as well as jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders – while protecting, preserving and even, enhancing our environment.

Of interest to your sector though, the Government’s focus continues to be on improving New Zealand’s recycling systems through targeted interventions and investment, with a strong emphasis on effective use of resources and delivering better environmental outcomes, that focus on the most problematic waste streams.

We’re modernising outdated waste laws so they work for today’s challenges, and giving New Zealanders efficient, cost-effective ways to reduce waste. Modern waste legislation supports a more productive economy, where materials are used rather than lost.

We are creating a flexible system that can adapt to new technologies and industry innovation.

To do this we need to keep working with the sector and communities throughout the country, to ensure we make the right investments in stronger infrastructure, collectively reduce emissions, and find practical ways to increase resource recovery and efficiency.

Today I’ll cover how achieving these priorities involves, first, getting the legislation and regulations right, and how sector input, and sector-led solutions, will play a major part in improving waste management in New Zealand.

Some of the legislative groundwork already underway includes modernising the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 and Litter Act 1979. The aim is to create more flexible options for waste management and reduction.

Thank you to those of you who made submissions during public consultation last year.

A key proposal is to establish a framework for extended producer responsibility.

We’re updating the existing product stewardship model to ensure continuity in managing impacts across a product’s lifecycle.

These changes will provide the tools and powers for Extended Producer Responsibility schemes which could be applied across a range of products and materials in future.

Aside from the tangible difference they make to reducing waste, product stewardship schemes drive system and behaviour change.

They get everyone across the supply chain thinking about taking responsibility for reducing a product’s environmental impact through its life cycle.

When you go out on a road trip anywhere in New Zealand it’s not uncommon to see used tyres discarded in paddocks or piled up high and left to the elements. I’ve long been concerned about this issue and am pleased to now be involved in the work for solutions to that and other waste management issues.

As I mentioned earlier, I recently visited Tyrewise to see New Zealand’s first regulated product stewardship scheme.

Astoundingly, they’ve collected over 6.7 million end-of-life tyres since becoming fully operational in September 2024.

Work is also progressing on other product stewardship schemes, like the Rural Recycling scheme for agrichemicals and their containers, and farm plastics.

I understand Agrecovery will be presenting later today. I want to acknowledge the leadership and collaboration already driving product stewardship elsewhere.

From the long‑standing, industry‑led work of the Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants, to emerging proposals for large batteries, e‑waste, and plastic packaging, these initiatives show what’s possible when sectors step up together.

While ongoing co‑design is needed to keep pace with rapid change and complex products, these existing initiatives set a high benchmark for those still to come.

The new Extended Producer Responsibility legislation is designed to build on the success of existing schemes, and enable future schemes.

We want to progress a container return scheme, but we need the legislation to be in place first so this will be a focus of mine.

The other key legislative amendments focus on changing waste disposal levy allocations and spending options for territorial authorities, strengthening compliance, monitoring, and enforcement and having better measures for controlling littering and mismanaged waste.

We’ll have clearer roles for regulators and public authorities and we want to ensure that any interventions are proportionate to environmental harm.

Changing the waste levy settings will mean funding is available where it will have the most impact.

In last year’s Budget, the Government broadened how the waste levy can be used, and ensured that it would increase gradually from July. The changes mean the levy actually works for today’s challenges, funding practical actions that protect our environment – things like restoring freshwater systems, cleaning up contaminated land, and protecting valued ecosystems have already benefitted.

Around $145 million of levy funding went towards waste minimisation across local and central government in 2024–25. This is significant in anyone’s book.

Since last year’s conference $2.3 million in emergency waste funding has also helped five councils respond to floods, storms, and damaged infrastructure.

More broadly, the waste levy continues to do some heavy lifting, funding around 50 active projects nationwide, supporting councils, conservation, emissions reduction, and the clean‑up of contaminated sites and vulnerable landfills.

The Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund was launched in 2024 to replace the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund, and is delivering real results.

It gives councils year‑round access to support for investigating and remediating high‑risk sites. Since its launch, $21 million has been allocated for seven projects, ranging from vulnerable landfills to old mine sites.

It’s staggering that between them, the Tāhunanui Beach and the soon to be complete Peel Forest projects have yielded almost 40,000 cubic metres of contaminated material.

I look forward to announcing the completion of another successful remediation project in a scenic area in coming weeks.

Waste minimisation is and must remain a key Government priority, and there are promising trends in this area.

The latest available data shows the net tonnage of waste to Class 1 landfills is the lowest reported since WMA reporting requirements began in 2009 and has dropped by a quarter from a peak in 2017.

There are also positive trends for waste sector greenhouse gas emissions, which decreased by 0.5 percent between 2023 and 2024.

This was driven by improved gas capture and changes in waste composition including reduced garden, food and paper waste​.

Beyond the Waste Minimisation Fund – which has contributed $68 million to 43 new projects since 2024/25 – the Government will continue to support better organic waste management and landfill gas capture, which help the waste sector meet its ERP2 targets.

I’d also like to acknowledge the work WasteMINZ and the sector is doing to reduce food waste, including through the Love Food Hate Waste and Eat Me First campaigns.

A waste issue that was on my radar long before I became the Minister for the Environment, is construction and demolition waste.

My Selwyn electorate has some of the highest housing growth nationally, with about 10,000 new houses likely in the next three to five years – and with that comes truckloads of construction and demolition waste. I wonder how much of this, and the associated plastic packaging could be diverted from landfill.

As you’ll know, C&D waste is the largest waste stream in New Zealand, and I’m sure more can be done to reduce waste in this area.

By your own numbers about 4.5 million tonnes of soil goes to landfills and cleanfills every year. This is a complex problem that impacts landfill overuse, emissions, and high project costs.

The lack of national rules or clear guidance on soil reuse and suitable waste infrastructure compounds the problem.

Your 2024 white paper and your recently released soil reuse report, highlight the opportunity New Zealand has to implement a comprehensive soil management framework to optimise soil reuse and minimise soils going to landfill.

The Ministry is planning further work on the following three priority actions you identified in your report: regulatory adjustments, a soil market assessment, and soil management framework guidelines.

Your industry expertise will continue to be central to the success of the future programme and for that I thank you.

Kerbside recycling shows what’s possible when we take a coordinated approach.

Since standardisation began, public confidence that recycling is actually recycled has improved, but challenges remain. Contamination rates are still too high in some areas, costs are rising, and battery fires are a growing risk across the system.

On this last point, WasteMINZ’ recently released Small Battery Environmental Scan makes many salient recommendations, including on cross-sector governance, mandatory product stewardship schemes, stronger regulations and better data transparency and education.

Recent advisory work by the Recycling Leadership Forum highlight how important connecting industry, councils, and the recycling sector is.

I look forward to the Forum’s contributions on how government and industry can work together to address multiple challenges, and build a safer, more resilient recycling system.

In 2024, the Government removed the 2025 deadline for the final phase of plastic packaging bans to give industry more time to transition to alternatives and ensure future regulations are workable. The change reflects feedback from stakeholders, including WasteMINZ.

A Cabinet decision is expected in the coming months, and if approved, new regulations would likely take effect in 2030, aligning with similar moves anticipated in Europe.

New Zealand is participating in negotiations on a global plastics treaty to establish an international framework to address plastic pollution in our oceans, and covering the full lifecycle of plastics.

As you’ll be aware, work continues on the Government’s wide-ranging planning system reforms. These reforms are designed to unlock growth, while still protecting our natural environment.

The change centres on replacing the RMA with a Planning Bill that will set out the rules for how land is used and developed, and a Natural Environment Bill focussed on managing the use of our natural resources and protecting the environment.

The new system will require fewer consents, clearer national rules and clear environmental limits to give everyone confidence about what can happen, where, and why.

The result will be greater consistency and certainty for businesses, iwi, communities, and local government.

The new system will be supported by modern digital tools – including a national e‑plan and e‑consenting – making information more accessible and processes more consistent and efficient.

We acknowledge that transformation on this scale is a big job. I know many WasteMINZ members working in territorial authorities are thinking carefully about how these reforms, alongside wider local government changes, will affect them and the sector more broadly.

While the Bills are still before select committee, I want to reassure you that planning for the transition is well underway. We’re already thinking about ways to support those responsible for delivering the new system.

This is about getting the transition right and making sure the system we build delivers for the future.

In December last year, the Government announced MfE, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Transport and the local government functions of the DIA would be unified in one agency from July 1.

The new Ministry, MCERT will bring a joined-up approach to environment, housing, infrastructure, transport, and regional development.

Combining regulation, services and investment functions will also provide a one-stop-shop for councils and other sectors.

I note WasteMINZ’s appreciation for MfE’s functions and expertise, and acknowledge yours and others’ concerns that environmental considerations might be diluted in this process.

I want to assure you that environmental considerations will continue to be prioritised. The changes are structural and technical only and Ministers will still carry out responsibilities set out in various environmental legislation.

The functions carried out under the Environment Act since 1986 when MfE was created will still exist – they are simply being transferred to the Secretary for the Environment, who will lead MCERT.

As Minister, I am committed to ensuring the environmental voice remains strong and clearly represented within this new structure.

In closing, I want to thank you for your contributions, your commitment to innovation and your leadership.

Together, we are building a more resilient and sustainable New Zealand for our people, our economy, and our environment.

I wish you all the very best for the rest of the conference.