6. Question No. 6—EnvironmentHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for the EnvironmentQuestion No. 6—Environment6. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for the Environment: Is it important to the Government to reduce plastic pollution rapidly in Aotearoa New Zealand; if not why not?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for the Environment): Yes which is why we banned single-use plastic bags which has meant 1 billion fewer plastic bags have ended up in landfills. It's why we are phasing out hard to recycle plastics that contaminate other recycled plastic. It's why from 1 July we're banning more single-use items which will reduce single-use plastics going into the dump by 2 billion items per annum. It's why we've launched the Plastics Innovation Fund why we've expanded the waste levy why the COVID recovery fund provided $60 million to recycling why the Waste Minimisation Fund has been expanded in breadth and amount and has funded over 100 waste reduction projects and why we've developed product stewardship schemes for farm plastics plastic packaging e-waste large batteries and tyres plus a number of other measures.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree with his ministry's estimates that a beverage container return scheme would divert an estimated 1.7 million containers from landfill or becoming litter pollution each year; if so why has his Government stopped work on achieving these important environmental gains?Hon DAVID PARKER: If I heard the member saying 1.7 million no I don't think that is correct—it's a much larger number than that. But the reason that the Government has deferred decisions on container return schemes—they have been deferred until the next Parliament—is that we think that the number one priority at the moment is the cost of living. This would have had an impost on consumers and we think it's better to defer that decision until the next Parliament.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree that a container return scheme would ensure that beverage producers and retailers shared the costs and responsibility for the waste they create instead of those costs being loaded on to nature communities and councils?Hon DAVID PARKER: Yes but that doesn't mean to say that we should be doing this right now. I think everyone in this Parliament agrees that New Zealand has a poor record when it comes to the management of waste. I think it is good that we have maintained a consensus across Parliament about all of those listed steps that I've already outlined. I personally thought we would be putting at risk that consensus in a cost of living time and I think it is appropriate to delay this decision until the next term as this Government focuses on cost of living pressures.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he comfortable that stopping work on a beverage container return scheme means we will continue to only recover and recycle 46 percent of these containers each year leaving the rest to be landfilled or become litter pollution?Hon DAVID PARKER: I agree a container deposit scheme would make a difference; I'm also aware that in addition to the steps that I've already outlined we're in the process in Cabinet of making final decisions on the standardisation of kerbside recycling. At the moment too much rubbish ends up in the recycling contaminating it and too much good stuff is going in the bin and not being recycled. Those are other measures which will also improve the collection of beverage containers.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he proud that Aotearoa New Zealand continues to lag behind all the states in Australia which either have or plan to launch a container return scheme this year?Hon DAVID PARKER: I've actually been to one of the meetings between the Australian states that invites New Zealand along and it is true that Australia whilst behind Europe is ahead of us when it comes to the better management of their waste streams. We are catching up through the initiatives that I listed earlier but the member is correct that those states do have a container return scheme that New Zealand doesn't yet have.Hon Eugenie Sage: What does he say to New Zealanders who want seabirds turtles and marine mammals to be safe from swallowing and being killed by plastic pollution such as discarded plastic bottles?Hon DAVID PARKER: Well I would share their concern. I would also note that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is leading work to land an international agreement to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans and that the steps that I outlined earlier also help in that regard.