New Zealand to Introduce Rural Recycling Scheme for Farm Plastics in March 2027 
On September 7, 2026, the New Zealand Government announced that it will introduce a new Rural Recycling Scheme for farm plastics starting March 1, 2027. Replacing current voluntary recycling efforts, the regulated scheme establishes a take-back system to collect and recycle end-of-life agricultural plastics. Producers selling regulated products in New Zealand must register with the scheme operated by Agrecovery (a non-profit organization dedicated to agricultural waste recycling), declare the amount of regulated sales every quarter and paying a regulated fee. Existing voluntary schemes will continue to operate until March 1, 2027.
The newly announced scheme is established under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA). In July 2020, the New Zealand Government designated six priority product categories for mandatory product stewardship under the WMA. This new regulatory framework marks the concrete implementation of that designation:
- Plastic packaging
- Tyres
- Electrical and electronic products (e-waste)
- Agrichemicals and their containers
- Refrigerants
- Farm plastics
Regulated Products
- Agrichemicals*1 sold in plastic containers or drums of 1,000 liters or less (including household pest and weed control products).
- Plastic bale wrap and silage sheets.
- Agricultural products*2 sold in:
- Plastic bags weighing 16–40 kg, and
- Woven polypropylene bags weighing over 40 kg
*1 Note: “Agrichemical” means a liquid or solid substance used to:
- manage plants or livestock; or
- control pests; or
- regulate plant or livestock health; and
- excludes-
- products supplied in aerosol form;
- detergents and sanitizers;
- vertebrate toxic agents; and
- products intended for domestic use (except for products used in controlling pests or weeds in a home or garden)
*2 Note: “Agricultural product” means:
- seeds used for sowing, including pasture, arable, horticultural, and specialised crop seeds:
- livestock feeds, including grain-based rations and specialised feeds:
- fertilizers, including conventional and specialty fertilizers, used to enhance horticultural production or crop and pasture growth:
- soil and crop inputs used to improve soil structure, fertility, or productivity (excluding home garden products):
- supplements provided in addition to livestock feed and used to support livestock health, performance, and nutrition
Key Requirements
- Producers selling regulated products in New Zealand must register for the regulated scheme operated by Agrecovery, declare their sales volumes every quarter, and pay mandatory fees based on those volumes (as detailed in the fee table). This requirement will take effect on March 1, 2027. Registration details are available on the Agrecovery website.
| Category | Product | Fee rate ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Agrichemicals and their containers | Agrichemicals, excluding household pest and weed control products | |
| Packaging part of fee | Per litre or kg | |
| Containers up to 60 litres/kg | 0.10 | |
| Containers over 60 litres/kg, and less than Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) | 0.025 | |
| IBC (approx. 1,000 litres/kg) | 0.02 | |
| Chemical part of fee | Per litre or kg | |
| Group 1 | 0.01 | |
| Group 2 | 0.03 | |
| Group 3: In containers up to 60 litres/kg | 0.04 | |
| Group 3: In containers of 60 litres/kg or more | 0.06 | |
| Household pest and weed control products | ||
| Packaging part of fee | ||
| Cost per container | 0.10 | |
| Chemical part of fee | Per litre or kg | |
| Group 1 | 0.02 | |
| Group 2 | 0.08 | |
| Group 3 | 0.10 | |
| Other farm plastics | Bale wrap and silage sheet | Per tonne |
| Bale wrap | 462.02 (or approximately 52 cents per bale) |
|
| Silage sheet | 462.02 | |
| Bags | Per bag | |
| Small bags | 0.20 | |
| Large bags | 3.58 | |
- The take-back service for collecting and recycling end-of-life farm plastics will expand over time. It will feature a network of convenient, free-to-use drop-off sites and collection options.
- To maximize the value of recovered materials, the scheme will utilize a combination of domestic processing and offshore recycling. Currently, collected containers are recycled within New Zealand, while bags, bale wrap, and silage sheets are exported to overseas recycling facilities.
Related Links
- New Zealand Government Press Release:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-nationwide-rural-recycling-scheme-farm-plastics - Ministry for the Environment News Article:
https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/product-stewardship/priority-product-stewardship/agrichemicals-farm-plastic-regulations/
