Half of our plastics and paper recycling is shipped overseas, new data reveals

Half of our plastics and paper recycling is shipped overseas, new data reveals
EcoCentral is one of NZ's 14 materials recovery facilities. (Image: EcoCentral)
Cécile Meier
This story is part of BusinessDesk's Waste is Money series.Aotearoa ships about half of its plastics and paper recycling overseas, new data from the waste industry reveals.The Waste & Recycling Forum collected data from its nine members, which together handle the bulk of the country’s municipal waste and rubbish from hundreds of thousands of commercial clients. The businesses recycled 8% (or 521,308 tonnes) out of the six million tonnes of rubbish they collected in 2022. The rest was sent to landfill (5.1 million tonnes, or 8...

More Infrastructure

Why Fletcher's construction arm could be a hot property
Infrastructure

Why Fletcher's construction arm could be a hot property

Building conglomerate confirms inbound interest in several of its businesses.

Government opens applications for $30m coastal shipping fund
Infrastructure

Government opens applications for $30m coastal shipping fund

Ministers want to see freight-supporting proposals backed with co-investment.

Oliver Lewis 11 Jun 2025
Blue Highway: a voyage inside the supply chain powering NZ
Infrastructure

Blue Highway: a voyage inside the supply chain powering NZ

We speak with port CEOs, climb cranes and journey on a container ship for a new series.

Oliver Lewis 09 Jun 2025
Clifford Bay port plan resurfaces with private-sector backing
Infrastructure Blue Highway

Clifford Bay port plan resurfaces with private-sector backing

The Grice brothers and Sean Colgan are pitching the time-saving Cook Strait port.

Oliver Lewis 09 Jun 2025