Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Waste
The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 was passed by Labour. Labour wants to encourage New
Zealanders to deal with waste in a smarter, more co-ordinated way so that we use our
resources sustainably. We want to reduce our impact on the environment, while maximising
commercial opportunity and new business opportunities.
Central government needs to provide clearer direction on how to minimise waste and on the
balance between waste and recyclables. We believe more emphasis could be applied to
„front-of-pipe‟ solutions by focusing on how we can reduce the potential for waste at the very
beginning of production and design.
Product stewardship schemes under the Waste Minimisation Act need to be widely
deployed. Implementation of the Act has languished under National, and few schemes have
been established. The first scheme Labour will set up will be for e-waste, including analogue
TV sets, so that these are not dumped wholesale into landfills when the digital switchover
begins in September 2013.
Labour will ensure that product stewardship schemes are widely deployed, and will
urgently set up a scheme for e-waste.
Labour will use product stewardship schemes to reduce waste and to encourage
ways of commercialising waste where there is a potential market.
A key part of waste minimisation is to make producers, importers, retailers and consumers
take responsibility for the environmental effects of their products in a „cradle-to-grave‟
approach. This has the potential to greatly improve how we deal with some of the more
difficult waste such as electronic goods.
There needs to be an effective system for managing the disposal of hazardous waste.
Labour will ensure that policy and practice for the management and disposal of
hazardous waste is monitored and reported on and, where appropriate,
enhancements implemented.
Air quality
Air quality, along with the quality of our whole environment, is important to the health of
Kiwis. New Zealand has relatively good air quality due to our low population density, close
proximity to the sea, and remoteness from other continents and sources of pollution.
However, there are areas (mostly urban) around New Zealand where concentrations of air
pollution are high, especially during low wind conditions where there is high traffic density
and where home heating is mainly by open fires or wood burners. This pollution has
significant health effects.
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