From RNZ
Commissioner targets govt & biodegradable single-use plastics
From Nine To Noon, 9:37 am on 12 July 2018
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is calling on government to pick up its game around biodegradable plastics and its overall environmental goals.
The commissioner wants urgent attention paid to understanding the implications for the end of life of these products, as well as sorting out the terminology and labeling schemes.
To this end the PCE has produced an online resource of key facts aimed at improving consumer and business understanding of the plastics issue.

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Rachel Brown: Plastic bags are just the beginning
From Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, 1:18 pm on 1 July 2019
This interview with Rachel Brown the CEO of the Sustainable Business Network says the ban on retailers supplying single use plastic bags is just the beginning.
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$3m grant for NZ’s first 100% recycled plastic food packaging
5:41 pm on 15 July 2019
The government is investing $3 million in the creation of New Zealand’s first 100 percent recycled plastic food packaging range.
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Are bio-plastics the answer?
From Nine To Noon, 9:32 am on 31 July 2019
This interview with Elspeth MacRae the Chief Innovation & Science Officer at the New Zealand Forest Research Institute (Scion), the Crown Research Institute for forestry, wood and biomaterial products, asks can we produce packaging that isn’t going to seriously harm the environment?
The answer may lie with bioplastics but, there is a great deal of confusion about what alternatives there are. Unlike conventional plastics that are made from petroleum, bioplastics are made from plants or other biological material. But it’s worth having a good look at the different types – as some have greener credentials than others.
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From Stuff
Commonsense Organics aims to be NZ’s first plastic-free grocery
Chloe Winter14:26, May 28 2018
From The Spinoff
The Primer: the company behind packaging made of plants, not plastic
JANUARY 25, 2018
This is an interview with Tony Small, founder of plant-based packaging company Innocent Packaging.
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Ending the magical thinking on compostable packaging
FEBRUARY 28, 2019
This article discusses the downsides of compostable packaging.
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Out-of-packaging experience: The rise of the plastic-free retailer
MARCH 12, 2019
This article looks at the retailer GoodFor that sells bulk organic staples – BYO containers or purchase online in paper bags. Not in Wellington yet but plan to be this year.
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