Ruapehu supports rubbish levy plan

Ruapehu Bulletin, 21 December 1993, Page 1

Ruapehu supports rubbish levy plan

A proposal to levy manufacturers to fund the cost of waste disposal systems gained support from the Ruapehu District Council last Friday. Councillor Weston Kirton moved that the council call for Local Government Association support for such a proposal. He said manufacturers had to take some responsibility for the problem which they were helping to create. "If they have to pay for the disposal of the waste they Turn to Page 2

Rubbish levy

From Page 1 generate they will reconsider their packaging decisions." "Now, we put out our products in the most convenient packaging. The attitude is 'sell it and get rid of it'." He said he was a manufacturer (he is proprietor of the Taumarunui milk treatment plant) and that he had no problem with having to face the issue. An example of the problem was the insistence of national supermarket chains on having milk delivered in plastic or cardboard, and refusing glass bottles because they don't want the extra handling. Mayor Garrick Workman asked if the extra costs would be passed on to the consumer. Mr Kirton said at present everybody, especially ratepayers, paid for the disposal of excessive packaging, whereas under a levy system, the manufacturers and users of a product would pay.