CURRENTLY only 0.2 per cent of Fiji’s total waste is recycled.
This, was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Professor Biman Prasad in Parliament earlier this week.
He said there was a need for improved waste management strategies, adding that the National Development Plan (NDP) addresses these issues through dedicated subchapters that focus on solid waste management key performance indicators (KPIs), policies, and strategies.
“Fiji, says dealing with a significant solid waste management problem now obviously increases economic activity, changing consumption patterns, even in the rural areas,” Prof Prasad said.
“Consumption patterns, products that were not used by you, are now being used.
“And there are different kinds of activities with which we generated a lot of solid waste, informal settlements, increasing urbanisation.”
He said this trend was further exacerbated by urbanisation and the growth of informal settlements.
In the NDP, solid waste collection and disposal by municipal councils are projected to handle about 182,000 tonnes of waste nationally.
The plan sets ambitious targets to increase this figure to 250,000 tonnes by 2027, and to 350,000 tonnes by 2029.
Prof Prasad said the Government was focusing on enhancing recycling capabilities to achieve these goals.
Plans include establishing recycling plants in both the Western and Northern divisions.
“So those are immediate, short-term targets, for solid waste management, and for Nadi; it is a serious concern.”
Additionally, Prof Prasad said many people in rural areas often brought their waste to urban areas, expecting city councils to collect and dispose of it.
He said this situation created ongoing problems with waste management in municipalities.
He said diapers were among the commonly disposed of waste from rural settlements.
