Waste is one of the sectors with real potential to reduce onshore emissions, mainly methane from landfills. New Zealand also imports a lot of goods, and emissions are created up the supply chain in other countries to make and ship them, so they're still part of Aotearoa's carbon footprint.

Applying the Zero Waste Hierarchy would help reduce these emissions, but they don't get counted in the national Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) because greenhouse gas calculations only include onshore production. The ERP focuses on landfill methane; it also needs to account for the long-lived emissions generated upstream from extraction, production, transport and consumption of packaging and everything else we buy.

National waste policy, including the waste levy, the Emissions Reduction Plan and product stewardship schemes, is set by central government. Councils implement waste services locally, but the settings that make zero waste achievable, or not, are decided in Wellington.

Want to find out more about resource recovery, climate change and waste? Check out this Zero Waste Climate Change and Waste article.

Want to know more about repair & waste minimisation?

Check out Repair Network Aotearoa!  

Central government sets the national framework that councils' waste plans operate within, and holds the one lever that matters most for repair: the law. Your local MP can advocate in Parliament for stronger settings on both fronts. They can help by:

• Expanding the waste levy to cover more waste streams.

• Funding the top of the waste hierarchy (redesign, reuse, repair), not just landfill diversion.

• Backing product stewardship schemes so producers share responsibility for what they put on the market.

• Properly counting upstream and offshore emissions from the goods we consume, not just landfill methane.

• Passing right to repair legislation, requiring manufacturers to make spare parts, tools and repair information available to consumers and independent repairers.

• Funding repair cafés and repair education nationally.

Investment in Resource Recovery Networks delivers more than waste diversion, it builds social cohesion and strong communities. 

• Would your party support or oppose waste-to-energy incineration in Aotearoa?

• How will your party work with local government on waste and resource recovery, given it needs both central and local partnership to succeed?

• Will you expand the waste levy and product stewardship schemes to cover more materials?

• Do you support reintroducing right to repair legislation in the next Parliament?

• What will your party do to fund and support community repair initiatives across Aotearoa?

• Authentic climate action must include partnership with Māori. How would you support and strengthen Māori involvement in climate decision-making?

Where to ask these questions?

Ask these questions and more, at electorate meet-the-candidates events, party policy launches and debates, or send them directly to candidates and parties via email or social media.