Landfill fee-rise looms as plastic piles up

process our plastic rubbish.

China banned imports of all contaminated plastic waste last year. The measure came into effect in January.

Sage said piles of recycling had mounted at small sorting stations. Larger recycling sorting companies had found capacity in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, where New Zealanders’ plastic waste could be sent.

Last year New Zealand recycling companies sent 41 million kilograms of plastic waste offshore to be processed, according to Statistics New Zealand export data. More than 7 million kg went to China.

Australia-based Visy Recycling, Reclaim, Green Gorilla, Envirowaste and Waste Management are the major operators that collect and sort New Zealanders’ waste.

A Stuff investigation into New Zealand’s recycling industry earlier this year revealed New Zealand recycling companies were bartering for space at processing facilities in other Asian countries following China’s move.

Sage had set up a taskforce within the Ministry for the Environment to tackle the growing problem caused by China’s decision, she announced on Friday.

‘‘MFE has been working with councils, businesses, recyclers and processors and others to develop some short-term solutions to the fact that we no longer have that market in China. I’m expecting advice back from them. I’ve also asked the waste advisory board for some advice on that as well.’’

The taskforce could force Aucklanders to separate their recyclable waste.

The co-mingling of waste such as glass, paper and plastic was what led China to stop accepting it, Sage said.