Plastic
Reducing plastic waste at festivals
Glastonbury festival has banned plastic bottles in a bid to stem the huge amount of waste that is left at the gig. It's become almost as famous for its trash than its music, and organisers say it's… Audio
Plastic pollution in streams - a citizen science effort
NIWA freshwater scientist Amanda Valois is co-opting citizen scientists to work out where plastic rubbish in streams is coming from. Audio
Litter experts devise solutions for Pacific waste
Vanuatu is looking at alternatives to plastic baby nappies which are clogging the country's landfills. This follows a study by overseas litter experts who've looked at what sort of rubbish Vanuatu… Audio
Question of the day: plastic packaging
What plastic packaging MOST annoys you in a supermarket? Audio
Insight - The Best of 2018
Insight - Summer listening. A few of your favourite Insight programmes from 2018 including; the babies damaged by alcohol, the rise of loneliness, banning mobile phones in classrooms and should Te Reo… Audio
Malaysian woman disgusted by the amount of NZ plastic
A Malaysian woman who is disgusted at the amount of New Zealand plastic being sent to her country for so-called 'recycling' has arrived in Auckland to try and stop it at the source. RNZ revealed in… Video, Audio
Plastic-free shopping venture expanding
Kathryn meets the founder of Auckland bulk goods business GoodFor, James Denton, which claims to be the country's first plastic-free food store. In 19 months it has opened four shops in Auckland and… Audio
Plastic in the Pacific
Kiwi stuntman Phil Somerville has completed his journey sailing from the USA to New Zealand, testing the Pacific Ocean for plastic waste as part of the "Eat Less Plastic" campaign. Audio
Wellington's south coast gets a spring clean
Community groups descend on Wellington's south coast each spring to pick up rubbish - including lots of plastic and cigarette butts. Audio
Our Changing World for 20 September 2018
For Conservation Week, the Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve celebrate their 10th anniversary by helping with Wellington's annual south coast clean-up, and how native bird numbers in Zealandia… Audio
BPA-free plastic containers may not be less toxic
Substitutes for BPA plastics may not be as safe as thought, with some appearing to have similar problems as the product they are replacing.
More knowledge needed about plastics in the ocean - National
Ministry for Environment has come under fire for not having more information about how much plastic is in New Zealand's oceans. Officials were today questioned on their knowledge, but National MP… Audio
A practical guide to giving up plastics
It's been called the environmental scourge of our age - so what can individuals do ? Will Mc Callum is the head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK who has just written 'How to Give up Plastic - a guide to… Audio
Samoa to join Pacific countries in single-use plastic ban
Samoa has become the latest country in the Pacific Islands region to act against disposable plastic. The government of Samoa has announced a ban on all single-use plastics from January next year. The… Audio
Waka Odyssey: Oceans in Peril
When the beaches of deserted Pacific islands are strewn with plastic, it’s time to act. Audio
Plastics going straight to landfill as China waste ban bites
New Zealand recyclers are rejecting some types of plastic as China's waste ban leaves them with no export market.
Edible bioplastic - food wrap of the future?
University of Otago researchers are developing the ultimate heat-and-eat: an edible bioplastic food wrap, using waste from the corn and shellfish industries. Audio
EU look at banning single-use plastic
Europe is planning on banning single-use plastics like cutlery, straw and cotton buds to stop ocean contamination. The proposal needs approval of all EU states and European Parliament. Audio
Minister 'inclined towards' ban on plastic bags
The Associate Minister for the Environment says she's inclined towards a ban on plastic bags, but work on the issue is still underway. Audio, Gallery
Mobile 'shruder' machine could help remote areas in Vanuatu
A waste solution machine is looking to head to remote communities in Vanuatu to tackle the issue of plastic waste pollution. Audio