The Government's investment in recycling schemes during Plastic-Free July is "part of the picture to tackle plastic waste, but it's putting step three before one and two", according to environmental activist group Greenpeace.
As the ban on single-use plastic bags came into effect on July 1, the Government announced a $40 million allocation to go towards recycling projects in the regions and this week $3 million from the Waste Minimisation Fund was invested in a company to create 100 per cent recycled plastic food packaging.
The single-use plastic bag ban is just the first step we need to take to keep our clean green image.
Type 1 plastic (PET) would be decontaminated and made into new containers at the plant. New Zealand currently has some recycling facilities for Type 1 plastic - however, the country is struggling with Type 3-7 plastics due to the lack of on-shore processing facilities.
"Ninety per cent of plastic ever made does not get recycled," Greenpeace oceans campaigner Jessica Desmond said. "Instead, it leaks into our oceans and waterways, or goes to landfill - so cleaning up the mess at the end of its life shouldn't be where we start to tackle this problem.
"We need to see plastics stopped at the source, with a ban on all non-essential single-use plastics, and schemes like bottle deposits to make the circular solutions being invested in workable.
"We desperately need to see a reduction-based approach when it comes to plastic, where we stop this single-use stuff even being produced, and penalise those that do."
Ms Desmond said the root of the cause needs addressing.
"In the past couple of weeks, we've seen the Government investment $43 million in end-of-life plastic plans - but where is the investment in stopping the mess before it is made? We can't just put the ambulance at the bottom of the hill."
Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said there were "no immediate plans to implement product-by-product bans on individual single-use plastic items".
"That won’t achieve the wider system change we need," she said.
"The waste issue is much bigger than single-use plastics and we need action across the board to achieve system-wide change. That’s why we are proposing to expand the landfill levy; implement product stewardship schemes for problem products like tyres and agrichemical containers, and why we are supporting the development of more local re-processing infrastructure. This can help us shift to a more sustainable and efficient circular economy.
"I’m focused on looking at tackling our mounting waste problem as a whole."
In March, the Government announced steps to try and improve the country's recycling system.
Ms Sage said at the time that the Government aimed to improve the country's kerbside and commercial recycling, reduce contamination of recyclables "so more materials can be recovered, and increase onshore processing of plastics and other materials".
The Associate Environment Minister said the Government will adopt all recycling recommendations in response to China’s ban.
Ms Sage went on to say: "New Zealanders care deeply about reducing waste.
"As a country we have been sending our waste issues offshore. China's National Sword initiative [the ban on accepting most types of plastic for recycling] has been a wake-up call that we need to deal with waste here in New Zealand."
In June, Stuff reported the Environment Select Committee would look into a bottle deposit scheme.
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