the plastic credit initiative for aotearoa
New Zealand has a plastic problem - but it’s not what you might think. We send around 384,000 tonnes of plastic to landfill every year. Most of it could be recovered.
Recycling doesn't happen at scale when there's no financial case for it. used is the credit system that makes recovery economically viable.
9%
of plastic is collected for recycling
Only 55,000 tonnes of plastic is collected from households and businesses for recycling. 32,000 tonnes of this is processed onshore. That's not an infrastructure problem. It's an economic problem.
575,000
tonnes of virgin resin/flakes imported each year
New Zealand imports 575,000 tonnes of plastic resin annually all while sending recoverable material to end-of-life destinations. We’re displacing that import demand in favour of recycled plastics.
12%
of class 1 landfill waste is recyclable plastic
A significant portion of what we throw away could actually be recycled. That 12% is recoverable with the right commercial incentive. used credits provide it.
how it works
Our 4-step process. When recycling is usually ‘too hard’ or expensive, we’re fixing that.
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Plastic that would go to landfill is identified and collected. used focuses on PET (1), HDPE (2), and Polypropylene (5) - the plastic types that can be recycled repeatedly and have established end markets in NZ.
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In collaboration with our project partners, we weigh, wash, and extrude/flake the collected plastic so that it can clearly replace virgin plastic.
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This displaces the need to purchase virgin plastic. Recovered and reprocessed material re-enters the supply chain rather than ending up in landfill or being exported as low value waste, often for incineration overseas.
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With our process showing additionality in recovering plastic that would have ended up in landfill, every tonne we process is converted into one plastic credit. The sale of the credit funds steps 1-3.
About used
Plastic recycling in New Zealand faces a fundamental economic problem. Collecting and processing plastic costs more than sending it to an end-of-life destination. Without intervention, the market defaults to disposal. used exists to close that gap.
A used credit represents a verified quantity of plastic recovered from the waste stream in New Zealand. Every credit is traceable to a specific collection and processing event. When a business purchases used credits, that purchase directly funds the recovery operation that generated it, creating a closed loop between buyer and outcome. Verra accreditation means the methodology behind each credit meets internationally recognised standards for measurement, verification and additionality. Credits are not issued unless the plastic would otherwise have been landfilled.
On the supply side, we partner with plastic collectors and processors across New Zealand who have the infrastructure to recover material but struggle to make the numbers work. used credits give them a reliable revenue stream on top of what they can earn from recovered material alone.
On the demand side, we work with businesses that have committed to reducing their plastic footprint and need credible, locally grounded ways to act on that commitment.
Our goal is not a subsidy programme. It is a self-sustaining system where demand for verified credits consistently funds supply side recovery, making plastic recycling commercially viable without ongoing intervention. Get in touch
Contact
To talk credits, partnership, or getting involved, get in touch. We're currently seeking commercial partners who want to make a difference.
Level 4, 1 Kenwyn Street,
Parnell, Auckland 1052,
New Zealand