A committee has been formed in the Cook Islands to develop a proposal to build the cost of recycling into the country's import levies.
This would involve a portion of the import fee covering its eventual disposal and shipment offshore.
The committee, comprising Malcolm Sword and John Wichman of Recycling Cook Islands, the New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter, and government agencies, is working with the Infrastructure and Planning Minister, Teariki Heather.
Mr Heather first convened a focus group in February to talk about the problem posed by the build up of plastic refuse, which is threatening to swamp the existing landfill.
Sending recyclable material offshore is seen as the country's only logical option.
