New Zealand needs to "not rely so heavily on exporting waste... the country could set up its own internal systems," according to an article on Radio New Zealand. WasteMINZ executive PaulEvans said:
"We need to stop thinking about how we stop being prone to fickle overseas markets with low commodity prices and how we actually use more of this material in New Zealand. That requires government... Harsher product stewardship regulation would help bring down the amount sent to be recycled in the first place... Currently, brand owners can make whatever the heck they like, put that out to the market and say 'it doesn't matter to me how that's recycled - I'm not going to bear the cost of it'."
Wellington City Councillor Iona Pannett said "harsher regulations on selling products made with unrecycled plastic would incentivise manufacturers to be mindful of their waste production. The government could mandate and say plastic packaging has to be recycled. The problem is that virgin plastic is cheaper and much easier to use."