The 2008 legislation is being implemented later this year and public submissions on how that could be achieved close next Friday.
While the Wastebusters GetReal campaign team might have little time to effect change, they are not short on energy and have devised the Wild Oats (orchestral anti-absurd packaging travelling show) street theatre programme of rap, dance music, poetry and skits to get across their message of reducing absurd packaging.
They are touring Wild Oats around Otago and other parts of the country before presenting a petition to the Government on the steps of Parliament next Friday.
The Waste Minimisation Act, as drafted, does not include packaging on its priority products list.
The three items on that list are oil, refrigerant gases and agricultural chemicals.
Wanaka Wastebusters manager Sue Coutts believes a voluntary packaging accord signed in 2004 has been ineffective.
"Don't try telling me that a voluntary product stewardship scheme is going to solve all the problems we have with packaging . . .
"There is some packaging out there which is well designed, minimal and resource efficient.
"We want to see all packaging meeting those same high standards in the near future," Ms Coutts said.
The Wild Oats performers want the Wastebusters message to be entertaining and thought-provoking and show that environmental campaigns can be fun as well as worthy.
The campaign also gives an identity to the invisible people behind the scenes who clean up everyone else's mess.
Performer Ivy Willmott, formerly of Scotland, said her job as a rubbish processor was "a job with meaning".
The former actor and stage manager is one of about 30 Wastebusters staff - many of them on short-term working visas - and recently became a New Zealand resident.
"I am taking all the things I am interested in and putting them in my job," she said.
Wastebusters staff will be performing in streets and parks, at farmers markets, in schools and at university campuses over the next two weeks.
This is Wanaka Wastebusters' second GetReal national campaign and follows a lobby against retailers providing free plastic bags.
The Wild Oats tour started in Wanaka earlier this week, is in Timaru today, Christchurch tomorrow and Nelson and Picton on Sunday.
Next week, the tour travels to the greater Wellington area and Palmerston North.
