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New Zealand Bans Certain Products Containing Plastic

SafeGuardSHardgoods, HardgoodsAugust 23, 2022

SG 100.22

New Zealand has issued legislation to prohibit several categories of products containing plastic. This will become effective on October 1, 2022.

In March 2022, New Zealand issued its Waste Minimization (Plastic and Related Products) Regulations 2022 to prohibit certain plastic-containing products.

According to the definitions in the new law, plastic means any plastic material that is produced from any source, including a bio-based source, whether or not it is designed to degrade in a particular manner.

Highlights of the new law are summarized in Table 1. 

Waste Minimization (Plastic and Related Products) Regulations 2022 (SL 2022/69)
March 14, 2022
Scope of Prohibition
Effect date
  • Single-use plastic drink stirrers
  • Single-use plastic or synthetic cotton buds1
  • Products containing plastic with pro-degradants2
  • PVC food trays or containers3
  • Specified polystyrene packaging for food or drink4
October 1, 2022
1Limited derogations apply
2Plastic that contains additives to accelerate fragmentation (e.g. oxo-degradable or photodegradable plastics)
3Tray or container containing polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidene dichloride and is used as rigid and pre-formed packaging for any product that a) is, or contains meat, fish, poultry or a substitute of these, or b) is fresh produce, or c) is freshly baked where it is sold by retail
4Contains expanded polystyrene (EPS) or rigid polystyrene to be used as a container or packaging for food or drink that a) is supplied for immediate consumption, or b) only in the case of EPS, is otherwise sold by retail, but c) is not a rigid polystyrene lid for a drink

Table 1

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