It is encouraging to see renewed efforts to reinforce a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability in Fiji.
Whenever we talk about the environment, a lot of flowery words go into what we should be doing, and the negative impact inconsideration on our part can have on it.
The state of the environment right now, especially when we consider pollution, certainly isn’t something to be proud of!
You just have to kayak your way across the Suva Harbour, and try heading across to the Sandbank, to see the extent of pollution any day.
And it certainly isn’t something that appears to be going away any time soon.
You wonder what it is then that we are fighting? Ignorance? Carelessness? A no-care attitude perhaps? Or simple laziness? Neglect?
You can’t rule out the fact that there are people out there who give no second thought to discarding their rubbish where ever they can. And they just don’t care who is watching!
So to learn that Mission Pacific, Fiji’s pioneering beverage container recycling program, is expanding its PET plastic bottle and can collection efforts across the country, is great news.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Fiji confirmed in a statement that it is working in collaboration with FIJI Water and the Motibhai Group for this program which has been a key part of Fiji’s recycling infrastructure since 1999.
The initiative, it noted, continues to grow with a clear focus on improving accessibility, convenience, and incentives that encourage more Fijians to recycle.
Mission Pacific, we learn, offers cash refunds for returned bottles and cans at three designated collection locations.
In a significant move to extend its reach, the program launched its first Return & Earn Centre outside its core depot network yesterday.
Sigatoka Town, it said, will lead this milestone, becoming the first in Fiji to operate its own locally managed Return & Earn Centre.
It is also encouraging that Mission Pacific is exploring opportunities to collaborate with major resorts while actively working to expand the number of permanent collection depots throughout the country.
In 2024 alone, it said, the program successfully collected and exported 140 tonnes of PET plastic for offshore recycling.
Whatever effort we put into protecting our environment deserves to be highlighted and shared.
We live in a country surrounded by the beauty of nature.
We are blessed with so much natural beauty. From our white sandy beaches to beautiful parks and waterways, we live in a country where nature is both a gift and a source of national pride. Yet, we take this beauty for granted.
We throw litter on beaches. We pollute our waterways and the ocean, and we leave rubbish in public spaces. We damage our environment and the image of our nation!
It hurts to see the places we love and spend a lot of time at, tainted by our negligence.
We should be protecting our environment for us and for our future generations. We should take the initiative to be proactive! Programs like Mission Pacific show us what can be achieved with dedication and the right support.
Acknowledgement is due to the companies driving this movement!
