FIJI generated nearly 200,000 tonnes of solid waste in 2024, the highest amount in the past five years.
However, less than one per cent of this waste was recycled, according to new data from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The figures, released this week in the Experimental Environmental Account for Solid Waste 2024, tell a troubling story.
Of the total waste, 72.4 per cent went straight into landfills, 27.4 per cent was incinerated, and only 0.2 per cent — just 477 tonnes — was recycled.
These numbers reveal a growing crisis amid Fiji’s development.
In 2024, the total waste generated reached 199,263 tonnes, an increase of 8,875 tonnes from 2023.
The bulk came from general household and commercial waste, which accounted for 166,996 tonnes (83.8 per cent).
This was followed by special waste, including medical and hazardous materials (21,116 tonnes), and green waste (11,151 tonnes).
The rise was mainly due to higher amounts of general and special waste, indicating that population growth and increased economic activity are driving consumption and disposal beyond the country’s ability to manage them sustainably.
The report also shows a detailed look at waste by economic sector.
Manufacturing was the largest producer, generating 25,696 tonnes (12.9 per cent of all waste).
This was followed by transport and storage (18,050 tonnes), wholesale and retail (14,062 tonnes), public administration and defense (10,323 tonnes), and accommodation and food services (9,471 tonnes).
However, the biggest contributor was households. Fijian homes generated 77,632 tonnes of waste, making up nearly 40 per cent of the total.
While some countries have recycling rates above 50 per cent, Fiji’s has remained stagnant at 0.2 per cent for the past five years.
The data shows that only a few hundred tonnes of waste get processed for reuse each year, despite Government and community campaigns pushing for sorting at the source.
The reasons are complicated.
Recycling infrastructure is still limited, especially outside major towns.
Collection systems vary, and there is little incentive for households or industries to sort their waste.
Most of Fiji’s rubbish ends up at the Naboro landfill outside Suva and the Vunato disposal site in Lautoka.
Together, they received 144,336 tonnes in 2024, a significant increase from the previous year.
Meanwhile, 54,450 tonnes of waste were incinerated. This method is often used for medical and hazardous materials, but it raises concerns about toxic emissions.
FBOS notes that the waste not collected by municipal councils or private companies is estimated to be substantial and that much of what is dumped, burned, or discarded informally may not appear in the official.
The Government has acknowledged the challenge, calling for more recycling facilities, encouraging composting of organic waste, and introducing stricter rules on single-use plastics.
Some pilot initiatives, such as the proposed container deposit scheme, could offer financial incentives for recycling.
Civil society groups argue that education is also essential.
The FBOS release marks the first attempt to create a structured environmental waste account for Fiji, helping policymakers track waste from generation to disposal.
Advocates say this should serve as a wake-up call.
For now, the numbers tell a stark story: one tonne recycled for every 418 dumped or burned.
A small island nation faces a big waste problem, with important choices still to be made.
