Nasinu Town Council CEO Felix Magnus makes a very strong point! Waste is no longer just an inconvenience, it’s a national crisis!
His words are a sobering reflection of the reality we face today. As unregulated dumping and blocked waterways overwhelm communities, our environment is under siege. This is not just a problem for the Government, or the municipal councils, or the private sector. It is a problem for all of us.
For too long, the issue of waste management has been treated as an afterthought.
Let’s face it! Household rubbish is dumped into rivers. Plastics choke our drains. During heavy downpour, town councils are forced into action to prevent flooding caused by carelessness and a lack of shared responsibility. How much longer can we afford this neglect?
So, we say, Mr Magnus is right. Waste is everybody’s responsibility. We can no longer afford to treat littering and dumping as minor offences. The current penalties are probably ineffective. A $40 fine is hardly a deterrent in the face of senseless environmental destruction. We need stronger legislation. But more importantly, we need collective action. Because laws alone won’t clean our rivers or change attitudes. Only people can do that.
Thankfully, there are leaders and organisations showing us the way forward.
Like Mr Magnus, one other such leader is Amitesh Deo, founder and CEO of the Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF). His work has elevated the national conversation on recycling and waste management, offering to a large extent, real, tangible solutions. Through community engagement, educational campaigns, and long-term partnerships, we see organisations like PRF helping to foster a culture where recycling is not just encouraged but expected.
Whether it’s sorting recyclables at home, joining clean-up efforts, or educating the next generation on sustainable practices, we say every citizen has a role to play.
It is time we adopt a national ethos of cleanliness, sustainability, and environmental integrity. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s necessary. Our health, our economy, our tourism, our biodiversity all depend on a clean and protected ecosystem.
If we fail to protect it, we will pay the price not only in dollars, but in the loss of the very beauty and vitality that defines our islands.
We say this is a moment for national unity and pride. We must come together as municipal leaders, corporate stakeholders, educators, families, and individuals to eliminate the careless behaviours. We must value the environment not as an endless dumping ground, but as the precious life-support system it truly is.
Let us champion the work of organisations that are focused on protecting our environment and let us emulate the commitment of various people and bodies in our own communities.
Let us place value on cleanliness, on our environment, and on the ecosystems that sustain us.
Let’s do it!