Zero Waste Network Aotearoa is welcoming the introduction of bans on single use plastic items.

General manager Dorte Wray says the ban, which comes info effect as Plastic Free July kicks off, includes plastic produce bags, fruit stickers, plastic cutlery, plates and bowls.

'The Ministry for the Environment has an ambitious waste minimisation work programme that is taking us in the right direction. This is how the Waste Minimisation Act was intended to be used. We want to see more of this and faster.

'People are going to start seeing this straight away in their weekly takeaways and at the supermarket. Achieving zero waste requires a combination of system-wide solutions and individual behaviour change.

Dort says system-level solutions that move us up the waste hierarchy include creating reuse and refill infrastructure, legal requirements to design waste out of production processes, and a sinking lid on all plastic production.

"There are already some innovative businesses and social enterprises working to create food service systems that eliminate the need for single use.

"These need to be more widely adopted and directly supported by the government. They have the resources to create comprehensive nationwide systems and mandate their use."

Dorte says at the same time, all of us can take small steps to reduce plastic consumption which is what the Plastic Free July challenge is all about.

"There are many easy swaps and tweaks you can make to get plastic out of your life.

'The size and scale of plastic pollution has reached a crisis point. Dealing with it is a major concern for New Zealanders."

Dorte says there has been some good progress in the past five years that must now be accelerated, alongside the push for an ambitious global agreement to end plastic pollution being negotiated by the UN.

"Our beaches, oceans, waterways, soil, air, drinking water and human health are all under threat of extensive plastic pollution. There has never been a better time to go plastic free.”