Environment Minister
Amy Adams has praised the success of global
action to tackle the ozone hole, which scientists
say has stopped increasing and is on its
way to recovery.
Today is the 25th anniversary
of the Montreal Protocol, the global agreement
to phase out the production and use of substances
which have been depleting the ozone layer.
“The ozone layer is
now on track to full recovery within this
century, thanks to effective global action
to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances
in everyday products such as air conditioners,
refrigerators, foams, and pesticides,” Ms
Adams says.
“It is pleasing that
New Zealand manufacturers, importers and
industry groups are taking greater responsibility
for the safe disposal of potentially environmentally-harmful
components in their products.
”A good example of this
is the Government-accredited Refrigerant
Recovery Trust product stewardship scheme
which has collected and disposed of 47,373kg
of refrigerants since it was accredited
in 2010. This represents a saving of 63,000
tonnes of ozone.
“New Zealand is proud
of its role at the forefront of action to
phase out ozone-depleting substances. We
were one of the countries pushing for a
strong agreement on this issue, and we signed
the Montreal Protocol on the first day it
opened for signature on 16 September 1987.
“In the 25 years since,
New Zealand has shown strong commitment
to ozone protection and upholding our obligations
under the Protocol. We have phased out almost
all ozone-depleting substances, many in
advance of the minimum timeframes required
by the Protocol.
“We are on track to
completely phase out imports of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
- the final ozone-depleting substances under
the Protocol requiring action by New Zealand
- by 2015, well in advance of the international
deadline of 2030.
“New Zealand is committed
to continuing to work with other countries
on global action to combat other important
international environmental issues, such
as climate change, fossil fuel subsidy reform
and the conservation and sustainable use
of the oceans and their resources.”
Ms Adams will host an
event at Parliament on Tuesday with scientists,
industry leaders, non-government organisations
and the diplomatic community to celebrate
the anniversary.
+ More
Environment Minister
opens recycling facility
Amy Adams4 September,
2012 - A new glass-sorting facility opened
by Environment Minister Amy Adams in Tauranga
today will help to divert about 3000 tonnes
of glass from going into landfill each year.
The facility at Te Maunga
Resource Recovery Park received about $47,000
for the project from the Government’s waste
disposal levy allocated to Tauranga City
Council.
In addition to accepting
glass bottles and jars, Te Maunga will also
start accepting flat glass, including from
windows and doors, which will be sorted
and stored before it is then sent to other
facilities to be recycled.
The flat glass will
be recycled into new products like insulation,
and the glass bottles and jars will be used
to make new containers.
“This project is a good
example of a council using its waste disposal
levy funding to work with business on a
project that will benefit the local community
and reduce waste”, Ms Adams says.
“Tauranga is helping
lead the way in waste minimisation and resource
efficiency across the country.”
More than 80 per cent
of the funding for the project came from
the Tauranga City Council’s allocation of
the waste disposal levy.
The levy for waste disposed
of at landfill is to help communities and
businesses develop initiatives that increase
reuse, recovery and recycling, and decrease
waste to landfill.
More than $76 million
has been collected throughout the country
via the levy since it was established in
2009.
