Talking Point: Reduce waste with BYO deli containers

As plastic bags are phased out, there are other ways to reduce waste, says Walter Breustedt.

By the end of 2018 China stopped buying plastic packaging for recycling worldwide.

There have subsequently been different reactions from different countries.

The EU will ban plastic designed for one way use, eg plastic cutlery and cups in fast food outlets for example.

Unfortunately, we read in our newspapers that most New Zealand consumers' plastic should go into landfill.

Only bottles with number 1 and 2 will be accepted for recycling. We should be thankful to China for opening our eyes.

Plastic recycling will not solve the problem of waste production. In discussions with supermarket managers, I often hear that useful products such as garden benches are made from recycled material.

Looking closer at this example, we see that plastic benches compete against wooden benches, which are more sustainable.

At the end of their lifetime wooden benches can be burned, recycled or the wood may rot, which means a carbon neutral end of the material.

The plastic garden bench will ultimately end in the landfill. Recycling of plastics is clearly only delaying the journey to landfill.

I would like to see and read more actions, and suggestions, from our Hastings District Council in terms of how to avoid the use of plastic.

Are the Government and/or councils putting pressure on Foodstuffs, as owner of New World and Pak'nSave, to reduce plastic packaging? I don't see any changes.

We as consumers have also some options, which we should use. Instead of buying meat or sausages prepacked in plastic trays, we should ask for meat wrapped in paper, and if the supermarkets don't do it, we can go to our local butchers.

Local butchers offer meat products without plastic trays. The other advantage to be gained by using the local butcher is that they sell us the exact amount we want.

There is also an option to reduce plastic wrapping which I was made aware of by a friend in Austria, and which I practise here at New World.

I ask for sliced salami to be placed directly into a container which I brought with me. When I first did this the girl behind the counter was somewhat astonished at my request, but with some help she managed to meet my request.

All supermarket scales can deduct the weight of containers, but not all sales people are familiar with this procedure.

The Countdown manager refused to use my supplied container out of health and safety reasons, which I find difficult to understand.

We all buy apples or tomatoes, which may be touched by many customers beforehand, without any health and safety problems.

Dear Hastings District Council, please be creative with your advertising, and promote waste reduction; please remove the pressure on us to put more plastic packaging in our waste bins, due to the restricted recycle options currently available.

- Walter Breustedt, from Havelock North, is director of ECO Management Group Ltd.
He worked as an independent adviser for the German Government before he came to New Zealand.