There’s exciting news for sustainability advocates across New Zealand – the Packaging Forum has launched a nationwide Caps & Lids Recycling Programme, designed to keep thousands of tonnes of plastic and metal bottle caps out of landfill and back into the circular economy.
Read the full story on the Packaging Forum website: New recycling programme will divert caps and lids destined for landfill to circular economy
At Forward Plastics, we’re proud to support and promote initiatives like this that strengthen recycling pathways and help New Zealand move closer to a truly circular packaging system.
Why Bottle Cap Recycling Matters
Every year, New Zealand households generate around 16,000 tonnes of caps and lids – equivalent to nearly 900 truckloads of material.
With approximately 60 percent of grocery products packaged with a cap or lid, this programme tackles one of the most persistent gaps in domestic recycling systems.
Since 1 February 2024, caps and lids of all sizes and materials have been excluded from kerbside recycling collections. The new programme fills that gap, creating a clear and responsible route for cap and lid recovery.
How the Programme Works
The Caps & Lids Recycling Programme is 100 percent industry-funded, designed and operated by the Packaging Forum to divert both plastic and metal caps and lids away from landfill.
Metal caps are recycled locally through trusted partners such as Hayes Metals and Simms Metals.
Plastic caps and lids are collected, granulated, washed and dried in Auckland by PACT Recycling before being sent to Australia for sorting and processing into new products – such as flowerpots, wheelie bins and cable covers.
The initial rollout covers Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch via collection points at New World, PAK’nSAVE, and FourSquare supermarkets, with more sites on the way.
This collaboration showcases how industry leadership and local innovation can close the loop on packaging waste.
What You Can Do Right Now
Whether you’re a consumer, brand owner, or manufacturer, participation is easy:
✅ Collect and drop off any cap or lid – plastic or metal, from beverages, cleaning products, condiments, cosmetics or nutraceuticals.
✅ Keep an eye on capsandlidsrecycling.co.nz for new collection locations.
✅ If you manage a business, school or community hub, consider hosting a collection point. The Packaging Forum welcomes new partners to expand the network.
Every small action adds up – together we can divert huge volumes of recyclable material from landfill.
Forward Plastics and the Circular Economy
As a New Zealand manufacturer of sustainable plastic packaging, Forward Plastics is deeply invested in creating a more circular, resource-efficient future.
We’re already proving that waste can become a resource – since 2018, Forward Plastics has repurposed over 1.2 million kilograms of New Zealand kerbside recycled milk bottles into high-quality packaging.
Learn more about our sustainable packaging materials and our HDPE and Bio-HDPE packaging range.
By supporting national programmes like the Caps & Lids Recycling Scheme, we’re helping to extend that circular model even further – ensuring that every cap and lid has the chance to become something new.
Together Toward a Cleaner, Greener Future
The new recycling programme is more than a waste solution – it’s a signal of collective responsibility.
When manufacturers, recyclers, retailers and consumers work together, we can transform how New Zealand handles packaging materials.
Forward Plastics will continue to advocate for sustainable packaging, local recycling innovation, and circular design thinking – because what we make today shapes tomorrow’s environment.
