APPA Newsletter – Vol 1. / September 2022

Our first APPA Newsletter is out today – 30 September 2022! Read on for important updates from the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, including new single-use plastic bans and an announcement of our upcoming end-of-year hui on December 11-12. The Newsletter also showcases some of the incredible research and publications our APPA members have been working on over the past several months.

APPA Statement in solidarity with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Palestine

“The Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance (APPA) condemns the violence, genocide, and ecocide currently being inflicted by the Israeli Government against Palestinians and their territories, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank. APPA equally condemns the New Zealand Government who, simultaneous to their efforts to unilaterally redefine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and erode the rights of Tāngata Whenua here in Aotearoa, have failed to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while supporting strikes against Yemen Read more…

APPA End-of-Year Hui 2023 – Register Now!

APPA is excited to share information about our upcoming End of Year Hui 🥳 When: Thursday 7th & Friday 8th of December 2023Where: The Town Hall in Whāingaroa/Raglan (and online) The two-day hui will include:– Shared kai and kōrero– Talks and presentations– Site visit to Xtreme Zero Waste– Beach clean up Everyone is welcome to attend, so tell your friends and whānau to come along for a nourishing couple days (or weekend) in beautiful Whāingaroa Read more…

The New Zealand Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance

APPA/TWC Submission to UNEP

On 15 August 2023, the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance (APPA) and the Tāngata Whenua Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (TWC) presented a joint submission (Part A and Part B) to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), providing our whakaaro on the scope, principles, and other critical elements of the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT). This submission expresses our positions on the GPT, which are Tiriti-led and based upon credible evidence from independent science, including Indigenous Read more…

Wānanga: ‘Reuse as a real solution to plastic pollution with Hannah Blumhardt (Recording)

Plastic pollution and throwaway culture are two sides of the same coin and must be tackled together. Join Hannah Blumhardt of The Rubbish Trip, Reuse Aotearoa, the Zero Waste Network and more in this wānanga/Q&A to hear about why replacing single-use plastic with single-use items made from other materials is a false solution to the plastics crisis. Hannah Blumhardt, Lead Researcher of Reuse Aotearoa will discuss why reuse systems offer a way to help communities Read more…

Wānanga: ‘Debunking compostable packaging with Liam Prince, the Compost King of Aotearoa NZ’ (Recording)

Does compostable packaging actually break down fully in compost?Confused by all the different labels and certifications?Ever felt that compostable packaging might just be greenwashing? Hear all about it from Compost Manager and zero waste researcher and advocate, Liam Prince, live and on-site from the Kaicycle Urban Farm where he works. Liam will talk through Kaicycle’s composting process, how it supports healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people, and the reasons why Kaicycle has stopped accepting Read more…

Meet the Tāngata Whenua Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty!

The Tāngata Whenua Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (TWC) is a collaborative forum of Māori plastic pollution experts including community leaders, educators, scientists, businesspeople, and researchers committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensuring the effective participation and representation of Tāngata Whenua throughout the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) development and implementation processes. “With Global Plastics Treaty negotiations now well underway, it is vital that Indigenous Peoples are at the decision-making table. The Tāngata Read more…

BFFP Asia-Pacific False Solutions Working Group

Earlier this year, the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance has teamed up with the Indonesian Forum for Living Environment (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia, WALHI) to co-convene Break Free From Plastic’s False Solutions Working Group for the Asia-Pacific region from September 2022 – March 2023. This Working Group has been developed to help facilitate collective action across our region in response to the many false solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis that are perpetuated by industry, Read more…

APPA 2022 End of Year Hui Presentations – recordings & slides

We had a fantastic line up of presenters at our Hui on 11 December 2022. We did our best to record the sessions with no real technical expertise, and we had challenges hearing some of the talks due to heavy rain – so apologies for the poor quality of some of the recordings. Nevertheless, here are links to the video or audio recordings and slideshows for all the presentations (still processing some so bear with Read more…

Programme Release for the APPA Hui 2022

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…the return of the APPA end-of-year hui! The APPA Committee are very excited to welcome some of Aotearoa’s plastic pollution prevention and zero waste community’s brightest for a range of wānanga, presentations, interactive events and inevitably lively discussions about our collective plans going forward. The full programme is now live! Check it out and please register if you haven’t already. It’s an event not to be missed.

Miriama Kamo hosts a Panel of Plastic Pollution & Zero Waste Experts – APPA

Save the date for this free public event e hoa mā as the wonderful Miriama Kamo will be hosting a panel of zero waste and plastic pollution experts as part of the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance’s 2022 End-of-Year Hui! When: 6.30pm-7.30pm, Sunday 11 December 2022Where: Sustainable Coastlines Flagship (55 Madden Street, Tāmaki Makaurau) and online via Zoom and social media livestream Feel free to send us any questions you have for our panel: nzappa.org@gmail.com. As Read more…

APPA End-of-Year Hui 2022

When: Sunday 11 December + Monday 12 December 2022 Where: Sustainable Coastlines flagship building, Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) FULL PROGRAMME AVAILABLE HERE The two day hui will bring together some of Aotearoa’s plastic pollution prevention and zero waste community’s brightest for a range of wānanga, presentations, interactive events and inevitably lively discussions about our collective plans going forward. The two-day hui will include: Mingling with like-minded people Shared kai and kōrero Presentations and exhibitions Wānanga and Read more…

Support needed for Moananui postgrads at the University of South Pacific

We have some wonderful Marine Studies postgrad students and plastic pollution researchers from the University of the South Pacific who are looking for mentors, supervisors, and general support. Can you help? Click here to learn more about the students and their research. These University of South Pacific students located in Marine Studies are looking for thesis mentors, supervisors, and/or publishing support from APPA members with shared research interests. If you are interested in connecting with Read more…

Call for APPA Members attending 7IMDC in Busan!

APPA is a core and active member of the #breakfreefromplastic (BFFP) movement. We would love to hear from APPA members who are attending the 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) in Busan, Republic of Korea. This conference is being held 18 – 23 September 2022. If you are attending, we highly recommend getting in touch with other BFFP members to join in with their activities and meetings at the conference. If you would like to Read more…

APPA Members Circle Back on the Global Waste Problem

Two of our brightest members, Hannah Blumhardt & Liam Prince (APPA’s chair) from The Rubbish Trip, have just produced & published their research article on zero-waste and developing Aotearoa’s circular economy. “From Lines to Circles: Reshaping waste policy” was included in the latest issue of Policy Quarterly, in a special issue on Environmental Issues. “The article is about waste, of course, so don’t expect to find a great deal of romance on the pages, and we Read more…

APPA End-of-Year Hui 2021

Join us December 2nd and 3rd for presentations and discussions from researchers, businesses, policy makers, artists and those interested in working together to mitigate and prevent plastic pollution in Aotearoa and Oceania. The 2nd annual APPA hui provides a platform for the community to come together and present their research and ideas and a space for collaboration and connection. Presentations will span both mornings, 9am-12:30pm at the Old Government Buildings, Pipitea Campus, Te Herenga Waka Read more…

GAIA Asia/Pacific Webinar: Meet Our Member: Best Practices on Environmental Policies in the Pacific

In collaboration with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia/Pacific (of which APPA is a member), APPA Chair Liam Prince moderated a panel discussion with Hannah Blumhardt (NZ Product Stewardship Council, The Rubbish Trip and APPA member), and Dorte Wray (Zero Waste Network Aotearoa) on policies and challenges around plastic pollution and waste in the South Pacific. Many thanks to GAIA Asia/Pacific for inviting us to speak on this topic. View the webinar below:

New Report: Tackling Plastic Pollution in New Zealand’s Fin Fishing Industry

ABSTRACT This study aims to seek ways to prevent marine plastic pollution leakage in New Zealand’s commercial fin fishing industry supply chains. Drawing on a case study approach, this research investigates how sea and land-based plastic material flows are perceived by those working for commercial fishing company Moana NZ. It considers current global, regional and national policies, as well as current initiatives that seek to minimise marine plastic pollution and considers the potential for their Read more…

In Memory of Richelle Kahui-McConnell

We pause to properly honour Richelle. Richelle’s legacy, both in APPA and in all of her mahi, is so large, multifaceted and positive that it is impossible to do it justice through words on this page. Her contribution to APPA as a founding member was unparalleled and gifted APPA with easily its most important guiding values and principles. And no one so prominent has ever been harder working, ever-present and such a good listener. In Read more…

(Video) APPA Panel Discussion – Plastics and the Pandemic: Perspectives from Aotearoa

On Thursday 23 July, as part of Plastic Free July 2020, APPA hosted an expert panel discussion, Plastics and the Pandemic: Perspectives from Aotearoa, at Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) in Wellington. Our panel discussed the post-COVID future of plastics, plastic pollution and the solutions that protect both people and planet. We were joined by four brilliant speakers who gave a short presentation on a topic in their area of expertise. Full video Read more…

APPA Responds to Recent Government Announcements

At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, APPA submitted on three important Government consultations—a proposal to declare some key products “priority products”, a proposal to increase and expand New Zealand’s landfill levy, respectively, and a proposal to transpose the Basel Convention plastic amendments into New Zealand’s import/export rules.   As these proposals would have implications for New Zealand’s plastic usage and our rates of plastic pollution, APPA felt it was important we submitted. Read more…

Limitations of the Microbead Ban

Stuff has released an article highlighting the range of cleaning and cosmetic products containing plastic and synthetic additives that are still being sold in NZ. These ingredients fall outside the microbead ban as it currently stands. APPA committee member, Dr. Trisia Farrelly, is featured in this article, discussing the concerns and dangers to human, animal and environmental health of these ingredients.  Read the full article here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/121791639/microbeads-are-banned-but-plasticfilled-products-are-everywhere