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Waste Minimisation Act 2008

Product stewardship - Priority products

9: Declaration of priority products

You could also call this:

"The government can choose certain products to focus on to help reduce waste and protect the environment."

Illustration for Waste Minimisation Act 2008

The Minister can declare a product to be a priority product by putting a notice in the Gazette. You need to know that the Minister will only do this if they think the product could harm the environment when it's thrown away, or if reducing, reusing, or recycling it would be very beneficial. The Minister also needs to think that the product can be managed well under a product stewardship scheme.

The Minister has to get advice from the Waste Advisory Board before making this declaration. They also have to think about what the public is concerned about, like how the product is disposed of, and give people a chance to comment on the idea. The Minister will consider how well any voluntary schemes for managing the product are working, and can think about other relevant matters too.

The Minister can change their mind and revoke the declaration if they think it's a good idea to do so, and they will put another notice in the Gazette to let people know.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM1154572.

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8: Purpose of Part, or

"Sharing responsibility for reducing waste and protecting the environment"

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10: Product stewardship schemes required for priority products, or

"Some products must have a special plan to reduce waste and get official approval"

Part 2Product stewardship
Priority products

9Declaration of priority products

  1. The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, declare a product to be a priority product.

  2. The Minister must not make the declaration unless he or she is satisfied that—

  3. either—
    1. the product will or may cause significant environmental harm when it becomes waste; or
      1. there are significant benefits from reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, or treatment of the product; and
      2. the product can be effectively managed under a product stewardship scheme.

        1. Before the Minister makes the declaration, he or she—

        2. must obtain and consider the advice of the Waste Advisory Board; and
          1. must consider any public concerns about environmental harm associated with the product when it becomes waste (including concerns about its disposal); and
            1. must provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposal; and
              1. must consider the effectiveness of any relevant voluntary product stewardship scheme in terms of the criteria set out in subsection (2); and
                1. may consider any other matters that he or she thinks relevant.

                  1. The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, revoke a declaration made under subsection (1) if he or she is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so.