The total amount of waste generated and collected in Fiji last year stood at 182,053 tonnes.
This, according to Fiji’s Experimental Environmental Account for Solid Waste 2021, a report released by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBOS) last week. About 86 per cent of the 182,053 tonnes was general waste, 6 per cent was green waste and 8 per cent was special waste.
The report also said that overall waste generation last year and in 2020 was reduced when compared with previous years due to inactivity during the COVID-19 period.
“There was an overall decline of 1251 tonnes when compared to year 2020,” the report said.
“The decline was due to less waste generated by other industries as a result of restrictions in movements and an overall decline in the activity undertaken by the hotels and businesses during the year 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Higher volumes of green waste were generated in 2021, when compared to 2020. On the other hand, lower volumes were recorded for general and special waste compared to the previous year.”
According to the report, in 2021, 39.7 per cent and 23 per cent of waste generated was collected by the town and city councils and private companies respectively.
About 37.3 per cent was disposed independently by households.
“Of the total waste generated in 2021, 62.4 per cent of the waste ends up in the landfill, 0.2 per cent was recycled and 37.4 per cent was independently disposed of by households.”
Fiji’s Experimental Environmental Account for Solid Waste 2021 was a framework by FBOS which described production, reuse, disposal and the various types of residuals and waste generated by different units.
The information on waste data was obtained from the Ministry of Environment for Naboro and Vunato dumpsites, plus the estimate for waste not collected by the councils or private companies but from the households.
