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3R CE Adele Rose and GM innovation Trevor Tutt
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Trailblazing regulated stewardship in New Zealand

By Adele Rose on June 21st, 2022 in Product Stewardship
3R CE Adele Rose with tyres pulled from Auckland harbour

Ten years ago, we set out to create a product stewardship scheme which would not only keep tyres out of landfills and ditches but also create jobs and value for New Zealand.

We worked tirelessly with the industry and the Ministry for the Environment to create New Zealand’s first regulated product stewardship scheme.

And now, together, we’ve done it.

Today (Tuesday 21 June) we officially announced the start of Tyrewise, which will be the first stewardship scheme in the country with a regulated framework. It will start operating in late 2023. 3R Group has been involved as project managers from the very beginning and I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve put in.

Ten years is certainly a long time to get a stewardship scheme off the ground, but considering it spanned a change of government, a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape, and required unprecedented use of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, I think we can be very pleased with the outcome.

Tyrewise has long had the backing of eager industry members but came with the caveat of being a regulated scheme. Industry was understandably keen to create a level playing field and so it wasn’t until 2020, when tyres and five other product categories were declared priority products (a first for New Zealand), that we knew Tyrewise would get the chance to deliver the benefits we have long known are possible.

The declaration was followed by the accreditation of Tyrewise in November last year as the country’s first regulated product stewardship scheme. The nuts-and-bolts of working through the regulation process then began while a consultation was held for final input from industry and New Zealanders.

This got us to where we are now – ready to kick off regulated product stewardship for the first time in New Zealand.

As product stewardship experts this is hugely exciting. We have been involved with designing and delivering voluntary stewardship schemes for over a decade and have seen how beneficial they can be, but a regulated, nationwide scheme can achieve so much more.

The fact the country’s first regulated scheme is for a product such as end-of-life tyres (ELTs), which is abundant (6.5 million reach end of life a year), poses a risk to human and environmental health, and can be a valuable commodity, is all the more significant.

Currently ELTs are an unregulated product with ad-hoc recycling fees, a 40% recovery rate, and are all too often illegally dumped or stored in the environment. But through regulated stewardship we believe they will become a well-managed waste stream with an 80% or greater recovery rate and high value end uses.

For those who have followed or been part of the Tyrewise journey, the wait between being declared a priority product and getting off the ground as a functioning scheme may seem long. However, being the country’s first regulated scheme meant we have taken on a trailblazer role which other schemes will follow.

Working through the untested mechanisms of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 has been a steep learning curve for all involved.  Fortunately, where we, and the Ministry, have found the Act difficult or unclear, there is opportunity to set a clearer path in the new waste legislation currently being developed.

For us, it has been just another hurdle to clear in this long and winding journey. I, for one, am proud of how resilient our team, and the industry and those at the Ministry who committed to work with us, have been.   

Now we get to move from the design phase and put our collective plans into action. It is always an exciting part of developing any stewardship scheme. After all it’s – and I can’t image a better saying – where the rubber hits the road.

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ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
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Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

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ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

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New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.