The Political Ecology Research Centre, Massey University is supporting The Kiwi Bottle Drive as they launch their “message in a bottle” action, upping the pressure in the campaign for bottle deposits in Aotearoa NZ. We encourage you to take part!
Starting tomorrow, 1st July, 11am, we’re joining the Kiwi Bottle Drive by sending messages on plastic drink bottles, freepost to parliament calling for a bottle deposit system. It’s the beginning of International Plastic Free July, and more than ever we are seeing the need to get rid of single use plastics. Will you send a message in a bottle?
This week the Guardian newspaper released an exclusive: the world is consuming a million plastic bottles per minute – and plastic pollution threatens to become as big a problem as climate change. The Political Ecology Research Centre is supporting The Kiwi Bottle Drive and want bottle deposits because bottle deposit systems are internationally shown as the most effective way to tackle this problem – a 10c deposit, redeemed when a bottle is recycled, can increase recycling rates to between 85 and 98.5%! Our government must act to introduce bottle deposits in Aotearoa NZ. Please help them get the message, and post a bottle, saying that you want bottle deposits!
What you can do:
- Send a plastic bottle, with a message of support for bottle deposits, freepost to Scott Simpson MP (Assoc. Minister of the Environment, waste portfolio). For a step by step guide, and address label, go to www.kiwibottledrive.nz/takeaction.
- Share a photo of yourself with a bottle and message of support on facebook or Instagram, @scottsimpsonMP @thekiwibottledrive #messageinabottle
- Like the Kiwi Bottle Drive facebook page
- Share the petition for bottle deposits and gather signatures in person with this form.
- Keep an eye out for bottle drive events – we have several of these being organised around the country, and will be posting details of them shortly.
Thank you for being part of the movement to tackle plastic pollution and work towards a zero-waste society!