A petition calling for the end of single-use food and drink packaging and the creation of policies to help businesses offer reusable options was accepted by Environment Minister David Parker, after being presented to Parliament this week.
Takeaway Throwaways policy spokesperson Hannah Blumhardt said they were calling for the Government to phase out single use, disposable food and drink packaging and to introduce targeted regulation and investment "to drive the uptake and scale of accessible reuse systems so that businesses have something to transition to".
“Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, we love te taiao, Papatūānuku, Ranginui me ō rāua uri, the natural environment, beaches, rivers, mountains, ngahere, flora and fauna. We also love the excellent kai, drink, and coffee available in eateries, markets, towns and cities across the country,” reads the statement on the Greenpeace website.
“We want to enjoy these things without all the single-use disposable takeaway food and drink packaging and the mess it causes. We’re talking things like single-use disposable takeaway coffee cups and lids, food containers, cutlery, and single-serve sauce and condiment sachets and pottles, including soy fish, sugar and ketchup sachets, and jam/spread pottles.”
The petition calls on the Government to ban single-use disposable food and drink serviceware and use waste legislation and targeted investment to require and support the implementation of accessible, reusable alternative systems instead, noting that 10,023 people have signed a similar petition online.
Blumhardt noted that under existing legislation, the Government already has the power to ban these single-use plastic products, replace them with accessible, reusable alternatives, and require those alternatives are co-designed by multiple stakeholders to ensure they work for everyone.
“Ultimately, we are all responsible as kaitiaki for Aotearoa New Zealand and the global environment we depend upon. With integrity, determination, and a collaborative and inclusive spirit we can transform how we serve food and drink ‘on the go’, move our country towards true circular, zero waste solutions, and cast ourselves as a bold, global leader committed to a healthier, greener, more caring and connected world.”
You can learn more about the Take Away Throwaways campaign, visit www.takeawaythroaways.nz
