PAC.NZ Position on Container Deposit Legislation
 

PAC.NZ does not support the introduction of container deposit legislation (CDL) in New Zealand on the basis that CDL would have no economic benefit and little environmental benefit to New Zealanders. CDL would cost up to $90 million per annum, but would reduce waste to landfill by just 1.5%. 
  

PAC.NZ also acknowledges that it is desirable that something is done to decrease litter in public places, thus it strongly supports investment to improve New Zealand’s ‘away from home’ recycling infrastructure to capture the 10% of beverage containers consumed in public spaces, and organisations such as Keep New Zealand Beautiful who have strong, established, community programmes to address litter issues.

PAC.NZ Position on Plastic Shopping Bags
 

PAC.NZ does not support either a ban or a mandatory levy on plastic shopping bags.  PAC.NZ fully supports retailers' voluntary initiatives to reduce plastic bag consumption.  Plastic bags are recognised as a very small part of the waste to landfill problem.  Where concern is raised, it tends to be specific to bags as a contribution to the overall litter problem.  PAC.NZ is supportive of a holistic approach to tackling litter which is based on encouraging people to take personal responsibility.  In short, our message is "If you don't need a plastic shopping bag, don't take one.  If you do take one, then re-use it."
 

PAC.NZ also acknowledges that it is desirable that something is done to decrease litter in public places, thus it strongly supports organisations such as Keep New Zealand Beautiful who work with the community on programmes such as Be a Tidy Kiwi.

PAC.NZ Position Statement on Waste Levies
 

PAC.NZ believes that raising revenue for waste minimisation activities solely by means of a waste levy is an inefficient way of providing funds for these activities and there should be further investigation into the use of other economic instruments to ensure that the most appropriate and effective mechanisms are selected for encouraging waste minimisation behaviour change.
 

PAC.NZ has a number of specific recommendations:

• The Waste Advisory Board should undertake a national strategic and economic assessment of waste management to specifically identify where additional funding is required and at what level that funding needs to be to achieve the desired outcome.  These areas should then be ‘ranked’ based on strategic importance to New Zealand and consideration given to the best economic model to fund these projects, be that out of established tax regimes, the Waste Minimisation Fund or other appropriate economic instruments.
• Require local authorities who own or operate a landfill to demonstrate that their gate fees include all externalities associated with their landfill, including the long term management of the site.  Increased gate fees which include the full and real cost of disposal could in itself meet any local funding shortfall.
• Any levied funds should be 100% contestable.  Giving territorial authorities 50% of revenues raised as a right, will not, in our opinion, advance a national strategic plan aimed at waste minimisation or resource recovery or allow the level of funding required to be quantified.
• Waste generated from recycling should be exempt from any waste disposal levy.