THE Lautoka City Council’s Return & Earn Centre paid out $1039 and collected 20,780 recyclable items recently, boosting the city’s ongoing recycling efforts.
Head of health services Shalend Singh said the program, launched on January 22, has so far collected 60,641 recyclable plastic bottles and cans.
“At this rate, it is estimated that around 3.1 million beverage containers would be collected annually in Lautoka for recycling and around $155,000 being paid out to citizens,” he said.
“The council has so far paid out $3032.05 to citizens including collection Pillars of Recycling (CPRs) formerly, known as waste pickers, who engage in informal recycling to earn a living.
“Even street dwellers are taking advantage of the Return and Earn initiative whereby 5 cents is paid for every beverage container.”
Mr Singh acknowledged the Ministry of Local Government and Return and Earn Fiji for the initiative, as well as support from Lautoka residents.
“Return and Earn Fiji is a not-for-profit organisation that unifies the collection efforts of eight beverage companies into a nationally coordinated recycling system that is partnering with municipal councils to make collections accessible for families and communities.”
The eight beverage companies involved are Carpenters (Fiji) Pte Ltd, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (Fiji) Ltd, Eddie Hin Beverages Pte Ltd, FIJI Water, Frezco Beverages Pte Ltd, Motibhai and Company Ltd, Pacific Island Beverages Pte Ltd and Pleass Global Ltd.
