Displaying 1 - 24 of 40 results.

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson has congratulated Countdown and New World supermarkets for taking an industry-led response to combat the usage of single-use plastic bags.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

A business initiative that safely disposes of hazardous unwanted refrigerants has had its accreditation as a ‘product stewardship scheme’ extended by the Government, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

A nationwide programme to recycle agricultural plastics and dispose of agrichemicals has had its status as a ‘product stewardship scheme’ extended by the Government, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

New Zealand has signed up to the International Open Data Charter, in a move to help drive innovation, support public accountability, and encourage engagement with government, Statistics Minister Scott Simpson has announced.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Statistics

The sale and manufacture of wash-off products containing plastic microbeads will be banned in New Zealand earlier than previously expected, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson today announced a Waste Minimisation Fund grant of nearly $55,000 to Tauranga-based Beyond the Bin to help turn its event waste reduction workshop into a free online e-course consisting of a series of 10 shor

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

A plastics processing facility in Lower Hutt now has the capacity to turn over 200 million plastic drink bottles a year into high grade food-safe packaging, thanks to a $4 million Government grant.

The facility was today opened by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Minister Scott Simpson.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Nick Smith
  • Environment

Collecting and using waste oil as an alternative fuel source to diesel, light fuel oil and gas in Fulton Hogan’s asphalt production plants throughout New Zealand is a tremendous achievement, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

The Government’s Waste Minimisation fund has granted $1.25 million to support the upgrade and recommissioning of EnviroNZ’s plastic extrusion plant in Christchurch, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

The plant will be able to recycle over 1,000 tonnes of woven polypropylene bulk fertiliser bags into high quality pellets each year. These polypropylene pellets will then be used by New Zealand companies to make locally manufactured products such as irrigation tubing and rope.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson visited Agpac Ltd’s Plasback, congratulated them on the scheme’s successful recycling of agricultural plastic, and announced Plasback’s reaccreditation as a Product Stewardship Scheme.

“Plasback collects plastic, such as silage wrap, irrigation pipes and fertiliser bags, from the agriculture and horticulture sectors and processes it into new products, such as Tuffboard, an innovative plywood replacement used on farms,” Mr Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Hohepa Hawke’s Bay has been awarded nearly $175,000 from the Government’s Community Environment Fund to restore and increase a wetland adjacent to the Taipo Stream in Napier, Associate Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

Hohepa Hawke’s Bay is owned by the Hohepa Homes Trust, which has provided homes, education and vocational services in Hawke’s Bay to people with intellectual disabilities since 1957.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

The final phase of a collaborative project protecting and enhancing fresh water and coastal ecosystems along the Whangawehi Stream on the Mahia Peninsula is being supported by $145,000 from the Community Environment Fund, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Love Kaipara has been awarded nearly $135,000 from the Waste Minimisation Fund to support moving Kaipara communities towards zero waste, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced.

“Love Kaipara is leading the way in encouraging behavioural change throughout Kaipara through promotional advertising campaigns and school education programmes. It is establishing important relationships with the local community, and empowering people of all ages to minimise waste and care for their environment,” Mr Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

The Forest Bridge Trust has been awarded $300,000 from the Community Environment Fund, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

“The vision of The Forest Bridge Trust is to create a connected landscape of healthy forest and flourishing indigenous wildlife from the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. They plan to achieve that vision by connecting up bush remnants, fencing, planting and doing weed and pest control throughout the area,” Mr Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Taranaki-based Te Whenua Tōmuri Trust Board has been granted over $130,000 from the Community Environment Fund towards its ‘Maru Wai Matara – Kaitiaki Taiao’ project, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

“The Trust will provide 12 hapū and marae with resourcing, training and mentoring in environmental monitoring and sustainable management. The hapū and marae will be matched with 12 local kura kaupapa and schools to help collect seasonal monitoring data and undertake activities such as riverside planting,” Mr Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

The Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund has awarded $150,000 to the Waikato Environment Centre to help expand its Kaivolution programme, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

“The goal of Kaivolution is to reduce edible food waste going to landfill, and redistribute it to charities and community groups. Since Kaivolution launched in October 2014, nearly 245,000 kilograms of food have been redistributed in the Waikato community,” Mr Simpson says

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson has visited Interbloc NZ and Envirocon to see first-hand how their cutting-edge facility turns leftover concrete into a primary resource.

“The Envirocon product stewardship scheme provides a standard, sustainable and credible waste management solution to the ready-mix concrete and construction industries,” Mr Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Bringing together data from across government, a study looking into the lives of premature babies will help front-line doctors and parents make better informed choices about the care of their children, Statistics Minister Scott Simpson says.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Statistics

A further $145,000 will be invested in the restoration of native beech forests, boosting the Government’s efforts to protect our native species, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

The funding from the Government’s Community Environment Fund will go to the Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group (WCG) and the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust (WRT), to help transform previously Wilding infested sites to indigenous forest.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Pest koi carp will be processed as a native plant fertiliser in a dune restoration programme, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

The $108,000 grant to the Coastal Restoration Trust, provided through the Community Environment Fund, will see digested koi carp, a pest fish, sourced from Waikato Regional Council's pilot capture and processing facility, being used as fertiliser in community-based dune restoration programmes.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

A collaboration of Waitakere community groups will be supported with a $281,865 grant for their work to monitor and make restoration plans for local wetlands and waterways, including the Epping Wetland which has high ecological values.

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson today announced the grant provided through the Community Environment Fund to Community Waitakere Charitable Trust for their Ngā Puna Manaaki Wahapu project.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

The Glass Packaging Forum and its glass recycling programme has been  celebrated in Auckland by Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson.

Mr Simpson visited O-I Glass in Penrose to tour the factory and meet the people making the glass recycling programme work.

“It’s great to see New Zealand business taking up the challenge of reducing their products’ environmental impacts,” Mr Simpson says. 

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson has released a review into the waste disposal levy.

The review makes three specific recommendations to support targeted investment in areas that will return the greatest waste minimisation outcomes:

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment

Scion is to investigate the feasibility of remediating treated timber with government funding of $163,000, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is a preservative for timber that has been commonly used in New Zealand since the 1950s. However, CCA-treated timber becomes a hazardous waste material when sent to landfill, that can leach arsenic into the ground.

  • Scott Simpson
  • Environment