Labour is promising to get rid of single use and hard to recycle plastics such as polystyrene packaging, cotton buds and some cups by 2025.

It also wants to establish a $50 million dollar fund for businesses to develop alternatives.

Jacinda Ardern said “getting rid of plastics is one of the main topics children write to me about, so this policy is about ensuring we uphold our clean green image, reduce waste in our environment and create a future our children can be proud of.”

“In our first term we banned single-use plastic bags, with over one billion bags estimated to have been removed from the environment. Already groups who clean up our coastlines are reporting finding fewer plastic bags on our beaches.”

61 percent of the waste found on New Zealand beaches each year is plastic.

By 2025, items such as drink stirrers, cutlery, some cups and lids, produce bags, straws (with an exemption for those with disabilities) cotton buds and stickers on produce, such as those on individual fruit items, will be banned.