Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance

02/06/2026

We are excited to announce our annual hui will be held in Whakatū Nelson on the 24th & 25th July. The main focus of the hui is plastic pollution and wider waste issues and this year we are going with a solutions focused theme of 'Looking Forward'.

Registrations are now open! You can register via link in our bio.

Want to present on your latest research or project, run a workshop or speak on a panel? Submit a presentation idea via the ‘Call for Abstracts’ form link in our bio also.

If you have any questions contact [email protected] and keep an eye on our socials for programme announcements!

02/06/2026

We are excited to announce our annual hui will be held in Whakatū Nelson on the 24th & 25th July. The main focus of the hui is plastic pollution and wider waste issues and this year we are going with a solutions focused theme of 'Looking Forward'.

Registrations are now open! You can register via this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeckrEftSlxiszGWD72DVXxmr0a37HiX_zDLDWGMTEHbXhrKQ/viewform

Want to present on your latest research or project, run a workshop or speak on a panel? Submit a presentation idea via the ‘Call for Abstracts’ form linked here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nOSMuQ-Sz_MfnZIwvfJ3SlEMfqqTK3cfYarZdFDaPks/edit

If you have any questions contact [email protected] and keep an eye on our socials for program announcements!

28/05/2026

A new report from Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, highlights the inextricable link between plastic and climate change - and it's not pretty.

☢️Most plastics are made from oil, gas or coal. Making them pumps huge amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere. If plastic were a country its emissions would be the among the world's top climate polluters

🌊As plastics breakdown they release more greenhouse gases, spread microplastics across oceans, land and sea, and affect how oceans store carbon. Scientists are learning more everyday but the early signs show that plastics impact the climate in more ways than we thought.

What needs to change?
❌Cutting plastic production - Advocate for plastic alternatives, put pressure on politicians, boycott plastic products and producers.

🌎Creating strong global agreements - Follow the Global Plastics Treaty progression, support where possible, pressure politicians.

🧺Supporting communities reducing waste - Choose reusable options where possible, support businesses making efforts to reduce plastic use, follow campaigns against plastic.

Read the report here:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-plastics/article/entangled-fates-of-plastics-and-climate-change/44A9520654AC9896871CBB737873512E

12/05/2026

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) exposes the truth about Biogenic Carbon in Waste and Climate Change

What's actually happening?

Many waste facilities don’t fully report emissions from burning paper, food waste, cardboard and wood because it is labelled "biogenic carbon" But CO₂ is still CO₂...

“Biogenic” doesn’t mean climate-neutral. Burning biomass releases carbon instantly. Re-growing forests and ecosystems can take decades, centuries, even millennia. That delay creates "carbon debt"

The loophole - some Some operators report only the “fossil” portion of emissions. Meaning a large chunk of actual emissions disappears from reports. This can make incineration appear cleaner than it really is.

Meanwhile waste incineration releases nearly all carbon immediately. But alternatives like composting, recycling and soil restoration can keep carbon stored longer or reduce emissions
altogether.

If emissions affect the climate, they should be counted. Transparent reporting matters. Especially when policies, subsidies, and "green" labels are involved.

Source:https://www.no-burn.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Biogenic-emissions-QA-.pdf

08/05/2026

New report from Plastic Pollution Coalition MATERIAL SHIFT: A Primer on Regenerative Alternatives to Plastic. Read the full report at the link below

The latest report highlights four categories of regenerative materials that are promising replacements for fossil fuel-based plastics; agricultural residues and byproducts, h**p and other bast fibers, mycelium and seaweed.

The report emphasises “regeneration” - the concept of sustaining themselves while enhancing the health of their surrounding environments.

Key takeaways
▪️99% of single use plastic packaging is made from fossil fuels and is responsible for 40% of global plastic pollution
▪️Regenerative materials could replace single-use packaging where non-toxic reuse and refill systems are not available
▪️Truly regenerative materials must be biobased, sustainably sourced and fully biodegradable in natural environments to ensure net positive impact
▪️It is critical to assess materials from a holistic, systems view that considers human and ecological health throughout the full life cycle
▪️Every material has pros and cons but can be marketed as “sustainable” simply because they are derived from nature
▪️For regenerative materials to compete with petroleum-based plastics and help end plastic pollution, the cost of materials must be levelled out

🔗

MATERIAL SHIFT aims to help educate and guide people toward regenerative substitutes for plastic that safeguard ecosystems and human health.

30/04/2026

Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our clothes, our food, and even the air we breathe. 🌬️🥗

Plastic is also INSIDE our bodies. 🫁

From hormone disruption to growing rates of cancer, and early heart attack and stroke, plastics have been linked to a number of serious, often lethal impacts on human health. The new documentary “The Plastic Detox” is an eye-opening journey into the hidden dangers of plastic in our homes with an eye towards one challenge specifically: the worldwide fertility crisis. 📽️

Watch and join the call for a strong !

21/04/2026

Today Earth Day 2026 🌍

This year the theme is 'Our Power, Our Planet' and we thought this is a great opportunity to talk about waste-to-energy and it's problematic approach to dealing with the waste crisis and providing fossil fuel energy alternatives.

Read the posts for more info and check out these links below:

Regeneration Not Incineration NZ campaign
🔗 https://www.incineratorfree.nz/

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
🔗https://www.no-burn.org/

15/04/2026

❌ STOP THE PROPOSED INCINERATOR IN FIJI ❌

A new proposed incinerator in Vuda-Saweni, Fiji would see 700,000 tonnes of waste imported into the country, largely from Australia and New Zealand.

The proposed site would turn a residential and tourist zone into a dumping site.

🌺 We are standing by the locals who want to protect their homes, their children, their tourism future, and their coastline 🌺

SIGN THE PETITION BELOW
🔗

Stop the waste to energy INCINERATOR in Vuda-Saweni, Fiji Islands

10/04/2026

Reuse Aotearoa recently released a report on Wellington’s Reuse, Repair & Share initiatives!

What is reuse, repair and share?
♻️ Reuse is putting products through multiple uses rather than single use, or giving a second life to items. Think op shops.

🛠️Repair refers to returning a faulty or broken product to a usable state. Bike repair shops are a great example.

🤝 Share means multiple people have access to products without having to own them individually. E.g. libraries.

The report found 456 RRS initiatives in Wellington. What does this mean for plastic? When reuse, repair & share initiatives are used instead of purchasing a product (made of plastic) new, it reduces the amount of goods being circulated and eventually needing to be disposed of.

Clothing is a great example. Fast fashion has flooded the our shops with cheap, plastic-based fibres that often end up in the environment and our bodies. Garments made from natural fibres are often more expensive so shopping second hand can be a great alternative that doesn’t break the bank.

📣 Shout out to our awesome APPA members Hannah, Ella and Polly for their involvement in the writing, research and reviewing of this report. You can view the report at the link below. Go check it out!

https://reuseaotearoa.org.nz/reuse-repair-share-wellington-feb2026/

07/04/2026

APPA is looking for a new Chair!

🫵 Do you know someone with governance experience, strong leadership skills and a passion for ending plastic pollution? Maybe it’s you!?

👥 We are looking for a new Chair for the APPA Committee starting as soon as possible. There are options to share this role in a Co Chair or Chair/Deputy capacity.

Check out our advert on Do Good Jobs below for more info and to apply.

BACKGROUND The Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance (APPA) exists to prevent plastic pollution in Aotearoa and the wider world to restore the mauri of Papatūānuku (Land/Earth), Ranginui (Sky/Air), Wai (Freshwater), Tangaroa (Ocean) and all other living beings in our Taiao. APPA is a collaborative f...