8 Waru How can we use plastics more sustainably?
He pēwhea te whakamahi i ngā kirihou?
Changing to a circular economy will allow us to use plastics more sustainably. Look at the diagram of a circular economy. How can you use plastics more sustainably?
Download 8 Waru Use plastics more sustainably (A3 poster) or A4 double-sided
Ka haere ā tātou para kirihou ki whea?
What happens to our plastic waste?
Most of our waste is crushed and buried in landfill. Aotearoa has very few facilities for recycling plastics and we export most plastics recovered for recycling, relying on other countries to process this waste.
Ka taea te whakawhāiti pūngao mai i ngā para kirihou?
Can we recover energy from waste plastics?
Some countries incinerate their waste and recover energy to use for heating or the generation of power. Burning plastics creates toxic fumes and ash, which is a health concern. Fumes can be minimised with modern technologies to very low levels.
He aha te ōhanga āmio?
What is the circular economy?
Traditionally many products are designed to be discarded after use, often to landfill, which represents a loss of material resource in the economy. A circular economy recognises the material value of plastics and keeps them in use for much longer.
He pēwhea te tiaki i te whakamahi i ngā kirihou kia kaua e maka noa atu ki te ruapara?
How can I keep plastics in use and out of the landfill?
Keep plastics in use for as long as possible. Methods include reuse, repair, redistribution, re-manufacturing and recycling. Biodegradation is a way to return the value of the resource back to the environment in the form of fertilisers and compost.
