green tape en · NOUN
Etymology
From green (“environmentally friendly”) and red tape (“bureaucratic regulations”).
Meanings
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(derogatory, uncountable) Time-consuming bureaucratic procedures or regulations relating to environmental concerns.
“We were bitterly disappointed with the pull back on the green tape reduction and we felt the federal government had been held hostage by the Greens for their electoral fortunes,” Mr Nicholls told The Australian Financial Review.
Australian Financial Review, January 14, 2013