Sofia Martinez
New Zealand generates 17.49 million tonnes of waste each year, with an estimated 12.59 million tonnes sent to landfill. Of the waste going to landfill, plastics account for 308,169 tonnes. Only 45,000 tonnes of plastic is collected for recycling. New Zealand exports up to 18,000 tonnes a year of collected material in bales for reprocessing overseas, and imports 570,000 tonnes of raw resins and plastic materials. In 2016, the plastic component of Auckland’s kerbside recycling was reported to be 7,172 tonnes, representing 5% of total quantity of recyclables collected.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total waste generated each year | 17.49 million tonnes |
| Waste sent to landfill each year | 12.59 million tonnes |
| Plastic waste sent to landfill each year | 308,169 tonnes |
| Percentage of pcr (post consumer) PP exported | 18% |
What You'll Learn
How much plastic does New Zealand send to landfill?
New Zealand sends 12.6 million tonnes of waste to landfill each year, according to the Ministry for the Environment. While some of this waste is recycled, a significant amount of plastic still ends up in landfills. In 2005, 39,100 tonnes of plastic was recycled in New Zealand, and this figure is growing. However, not all types of plastic can be recycled in the country, and some plastic waste is sent overseas to developing countries. Since 2019, more than 10,000 tonnes of New Zealand's plastic has gone to Malaysia alone.
To reduce the amount of plastic waste sent to landfill, New Zealand could consider implementing higher landfill levies. It is estimated that by expanding the waste levy, the country could divert 3 million tonnes of waste from landfills per annum by 2025 and increase its recycling rate to 60%. Additionally, individuals can take ownership of their waste footprint by choosing products with minimal or recyclable packaging and avoiding plastic bags.
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How much plastic does New Zealand recycle?
New Zealand generates 17.49 million tonnes of waste each year, with an estimated 12.59 million tonnes sent to landfill. Of the waste going to landfill, plastics account for 308,169 tonnes. Only 45,000 tonnes of plastic is collected for recycling.
In 2016, the plastic component of Auckland's kerbside recycling was reported to be 7,172 tonnes, representing 5% of the total quantity of recyclables collected. In Auckland, plastics are separated into three categories: 1,039 tonnes HDPE (#2), 2,056 tonnes PET (#1) and 4,077 tonnes mixed plastic.
Annually, 25,000 tonnes of recycled plastic are collected from households, which is the equivalent of the weight of plastic beverage containers consumed in New Zealand.
New Zealand exports about 18% of post-consumer PP, which is worth between $8.45 million and $14.9 million. The country also exports up to 18,000 tonnes a year of collected material in bales for reprocessing overseas.
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How much plastic does New Zealand export?
New Zealand exports up to 18,000 tonnes of collected plastic material a year for reprocessing overseas. However, this figure does not include the amount of plastic reused or recycled onshore, or going to landfill. It also does not include the weight or type of plastic within finished products and packaged goods that contain plastic.
Since the start of 2019, more than 10,000 tonnes of New Zealand's plastic has gone to Malaysia, and hundreds of tonnes to Thailand.
In 2013, the weight of plastic packaging estimated to be recovered in New Zealand was 41,900 tonnes per year, equating to 9.4 kg per person. In 2008, it was estimated that around 150,000 tonnes of plastic packaging were consumed in New Zealand every year, which equates to 30 kg per person. In 2010, 156,345 tonnes of plastic packaging were produced in New Zealand. The average New Zealander uses about 31kg of plastic packaging each year.
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How much plastic does New Zealand import?
New Zealand generates 17.49 million tonnes of waste each year, with an estimated 12.59 million tonnes sent to landfill. Of the waste going to landfill, plastics account for 308,169 tonnes. Only 45,000 tonnes of plastic is collected for recycling.
New Zealand exports up to 18,000 tonnes a year of collected material in bales for reprocessing overseas. The country also exports about 18% of post-consumer PP.
New Zealand imports 570,000 tonnes of raw resins and plastic materials. The country also imports 1200 tonnes of recycled PP.
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How much plastic waste does New Zealand produce?
New Zealanders consume around 735,000 tonnes of packaging every year, with only 58% hitting the recycling bin. Between January 2018 and March 2021, New Zealand exported over 98,000 tonnes of plastic waste.
In 2010, 156,345 tonnes of plastic packaging were produced in New Zealand. The average New Zealander uses about 31kg of plastic packaging each year.
Of the waste going to landfill, plastics account for 308,169 tonnes. Only 45,000 tonnes of plastic is collected for recycling, with 50% going to landfill directly and 17% due to contamination. New Zealand exports up to 18,000 tonnes a year of collected material in bales for reprocessing overseas.
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