A submission from New Zealand Food Waste Champions (NZFWC) to the Ministry for the Environment on the proposed updates to the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP2) expresses conditional support for further investigation into improvements in organic waste disposal and landfill gas capture.
The submission underscores the need for urgent action to align New Zealand with other developed countries and maximise the emissions reduction potential from FLW prevention and reduction efforts. It highlights the importance of enhancing national capabilities to divert food loss and waste (FLW) from landfill and increasing emphasis on using FLW according to the principles of the Food Recovery Hierarchy. It is our view that this approach would reduce emissions by prioritising the prevention, rescue, and upcycling of surplus food to feed people and animals, as well as capturing value from FLW through material, nutrient, and energy recovery.
We emphasise that ERP2's current focus on end-of-pipe solutions is not aligned with international best practices or the recommendations of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor (PMCSA). Instead, we are advocating for a systemic approach that prioritises FLW prevention and aligns with global best practices.
Three key adjustments to ERP we have proposed are:
Extending system-based and prevention-based actions from ERP1 through ERP2 (2025 –2030), to avoid New Zealand’s response to FLW going backwards.
Aligning ERP2 with the Food Recovery Hierarchy and ensuring that supporting policies incentivise prevention, rescue and repurposing over end-of-pipe solutions.
Establishing a policy pathway to ban landfilling of FLW in New Zealand to align with international best practice and stimulate investment and innovation from the private sector.
Read the full submission below, as well as letters of endorsement from Aotearoa Food Rescue Association and New Zealand Food Network.
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