Recycling
Recycled materials a must for quake-strengthened buildings - expert
Engineers are pushing the boundaries on building materials to find more sustainable ways to earthquake strengthen.
National wants bottle deposit scheme return
National wants to include a container deposit scheme to help minimize waste and improve recycling - and the Product Stewardship Council says these kinds of schemes are increase recycling rates by up… Audio
Glass milk bottles make a comeback
The classic glass milk bottle is making somewhat of a comeback with some dairy farmers deciding to use them instead of plastic. There's a lot public demand to go back to the old way, particularly… Audio
Wastescape: a vision of our plastic future?
'Wastescape' is a giant immersive art installation using thousands of used plastic milk bottles to spark conversations about New Zealand's relationship with food and waste. Its creator British artist… Audio
Making green steel with old tyres
Veena Sahajwalla is the inventor of green steel and a Professor of Materials Science in the Faculty of Science at the University of New South Wales. She talks to Kathryn about revolutionising… Video, Audio, Gallery
Recycling woes: 'We still have very large piles around the country'
As recycling centres deal with high summer volumes and a Chinese ban on taking plastics, people are realising recycling isn't the answer to the world's plastic pollution crisis.
Have we reached tipping point?
China refused to take any more waste plastic at the start of 2018, and in April we saw startling images of mountains of recycling with nowhere to go. This year will also be remembered as the year New… Audio
Malaysian woman disgusted by the amount of NZ plastic
A Malaysian woman who is disgusted at the amount of New Zealand plastic being sent to her country for so-called 'recycling' has arrived in Auckland to try and stop it at the source. RNZ revealed in… Video, Audio
The case for making the environment manly
Research suggests that both men and women see environmental behaviour, like recycling, as feminine, spurring fears some men avoid being eco-friendly because of it. Seattle University marketing… Audio
New Zealand dumping plastic in Malaysia after China ban
New Zealand's plastic waste exports to Malaysia have tripled in the first six months of this year after China banned waste imports. Video, Audio
Govt gives recycling company millions to build new plant
The Government has granted an Auckland recycling company more than three million dollars to build a new waste plant that will double its recycling capacity. Audio
Recycler considering legal action over mounting rubbish
Grahame Christian says since China's ban on accepting certain materials, he's been forced to sell tonnes of rubbish for a fraction of what its worth. Audio
Christchurch business turns plastic waste into art
Those odds and ends of unrecyclable plastic like milk bottle tops and bread bag tags littering your kitchen could one day be used to 3-D print a new washer or machinery part. That day is still a wee… Audio
Call to end lubricant packaging waste
Getting rid of contaminated motor oil containers is set to get easier, for everyone from motor vehicle owners to big industry. Some of New Zealand's biggest lubricant brands have got together to… Audio
'Wow!' or 'Yuck!' - your bins inspected
The plastic plague continues. In New Zealand, Dunedin City Council is once again conducting bin checks to make sure residents are recycling properly. Audio
Plastics going straight to landfill as China waste ban bites
New Zealand recyclers are rejecting some types of plastic as China's waste ban leaves them with no export market.
Paying to recycle non-recyclables
In New Zealand there are now stockpiles of waste with nowhere to go, millions of kilograms of recycling waiting for new buyers. But some councils are still paying for their waste to pile up. Audio
Global giants commit to tackling plastic pollution
A dozen local and international companies have pledged to make all of their packaging recyclable or compostable by 2025 - which they say will help create a 'circular economy' and reduce waste. Audio
Minister 'inclined towards' ban on plastic bags
The Associate Minister for the Environment says she's inclined towards a ban on plastic bags, but work on the issue is still underway. Audio, Gallery
Warnings over NZ's kerbside recycling
Councils across the country, and the world, are scrambling to find alternatives to sending their waste to China. So with increased costs & stockpiles of waste building up, what to do with our… Audio
