Newly appointed permanent secretary for the Ministry of Waterways and Environment Mere Siqila-Lakeba has stressed the need for people’s behaviour towards rubbish to change as “we live in a use and throwaway society”.
She stressed this during a meeting with the Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) founder and CEO of Waste Recyclers Fiji Ltd (WRFL) Amitesh Deo.
“For years now, Fijians have put everything in one bin, there is no sorting at the source, unlike other developed countries like Australia and New Zealand,” she said.
“Cans, bottles, plastics and organic matter in both solid and liquid form are just rolled up and left in the rubbish bin for garbage collection when the majority of these items can be recycled.
“We live in a use and throwaway society. People’s behaviour needs to be changed. Recycling is an opportunity for communities and individuals to do their part in protecting the environment.
“We as responsible citizens need to understand how the wastes we produce from our day-to-day activities can negatively impact the environment if it is not managed or disposed of properly.”
She said recycling offered a wide array of significant benefits that were not only limited to the environment but also the economy, health, and social well-being.
“It is estimated that up to 75 per cent of all waste can be recycled or repurposed – this is an impactful fact and only goes to show how much the world is losing by not recycling.
“Recycling saves critical air space in the landfills and dumpsites as less waste is taken to the landfills thus, ensuring its longevity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the amount of unnecessary waste ending up at the landfills and dumpsites.
“Going forward, we will have regular consultations with like-minded actors in the waste management space to promote recycling and address the growing concern of irresponsible waste disposal and littering.”
She also commended Mr Deo and his team for all the work they had done to promote recycling thus far. Mr Deo also provided an overview of the work carried out by PRF and WRFL with regard to waste management and recycling space and also discussed their current projects and programs and future plans.
“We are pleased that Ms Lakeba accepted our invitation to be part of this meeting and are looking forward to working with her and the Ministry.”
He said the meeting gave him an opportunity to inform Ms Lakeba on PRF’s engagement with the Collection Pillars of Recycling (CPRs), formerly known as informal waste pickers, and the structured support that was provided to CPRs, particularly women and members of the LGBTQI+ communities.
“2023 is an important year for PRF as we want to solidify our partnerships and upscale current projects and programs.”
