To play its part, ecostore is creating tiny carbon sinks with its plastic bottles made from sugar cane. Bernard Hickey reports on World Environment Day.
*Watch the full interview in the video player above*
Plastic containers present a dual problem for those wanting to address climate change and create a circular economy. Firstly, they need to be made from oil, which creates carbon emissions. Then they need to be recycled. Both present a challenge for New Zealand, particularly now China has stopped importing mixed plastics and the Government wants to reduce New Zealand's net emissions to zero by 2050. The Government has launched a taskforce to deal with more of New Zealand's waste locally.
The Productivity Commission has also reported New Zealand's economy will need to change dramatically to achieve carbon neutrality, including through the supply chain for packaging. The Commission argued New Zealand faced both a threat and an opportunity.
ecostore is playing its part by making its plastic bottles from pellets of sugar made from sugar cane. As the sugar cane grows, it absorbs carbon from the atmosphere to create sugar. That is then processed into plastic that can be recycled.
Sustainable Business Network CEO Rachel Brown explains the challenges facing New Zealand in this video, and what ecostore is doing to address them.
