This is how plastics are recycled (or not) in New Zealand
Have you ever thought or heard, “yeah nah, plastics are not recycled in Aotearoa NZ”?
Well, this is wrong. ❌
Watch the video below to see which plastics are recycled in New Zealand and what they are turned into. 👀
⚠️ But before you watch what happens to plastics recycled in NZ, here are a few important reminders to keep in mind:
🛢️ The petrol & “new recycled plastic items” issues
Plastic is made of petroleum: fossil fuels like crude oil. In 2026, we are all aware of the environmental damage caused by the use of fossil fuels. The vast majority of recycled plastic items will need new plastic (or/and other material) added to them.
🚚 Recycling uses a LOT of resources
A lot of transport and industrial steps are needed to recycle plastic. Chronologically, once the plastic product is used, we have: collection, transport, sorting (locally), transport to the recycler, resorting, processing (shredded, washed, melted, remoulded) and transport AGAIN, where the new item will be sold…
🚫 Not all plastics #1, #2 and #5 are recycled…
It is important to keep in mind that, depending on the new packaging being made, only specific colours of plastics are recycled. In the video below, ONLY the clear plastic is recycled into muffin trays, and the coloured plastics are landfilled. Labels are also NOT recycled.
🙅 The big “Nurdles Issue”
Nurdles are small plastic pellets (about the size of a lentil) that are heated and melted to make (almost) all plastic products. The BIG issue is that each year, thousands of tonnes spill directly into the environment, all around the world. Learn more about nurdles here.
⛓️💥 “Downcycling”: the Degradation of Plastic
As mentioned before, recycled plastic items are not 100% made of recycled material, and recycled plastic will lose some quality as it degrades.
Plastics are made of polymers—long, flexible chains of molecules. When plastic is mechanically recycled, it must be shredded, washed, melted, and remoulded. The immense heat and mechanical shear applied during this process break or shorten these polymer chains.
A plastic bottle won’t be recycled into another plastic bottle… In the NZ facility shown in the video below, PET plastic bottles (#1) are recycled into plastic trays.🌏 Plastic, recycled or not, is NOT “cool”: it has a massive impact on our taiao - environment*.
Plastic pollutes the land, waterways, and the air we breathe. We should all do our best to reduce our use of plastics, especially regarding packaging, as we usually have other alternatives.
Tomato sauce? Tin can or glass is better (or make your own!). Pasta, rice, spices? Can you use the refillery?
*In Aotearoa New Zealand, we consume around 150,000 tonnes of plastic packaging each year, which equates to 30kg per person… (estimation from 2008, source).
Video posted by Waste-ED by Kate on 5 June 2026.
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