New Zealand's recycling industry has been left under-developed, by years of China doing it for us.

But that country has now banned imports of recycling material and it's starting to pile up around New Zealand.

The government has now set up a taskforce to find out how we can encourage more recycling at home.

Smart Environmental managing director Grahame Christian told Mike Hosking it's a necessary move, as we've long taken China's service for granted.

"For many years China has taken the bulk of our product and we thought that we were just in another cycle where they raise barriers for entry and then disappear but this is not the case now."

LISTEN ABOVE: Grahame Christian talks to Mike Hosking