Municipal councils will be working closely with Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) to develop holistic, measurable, and evidence-based recycling strategies for their municipalities, with implementation set to begin as early as next year.
This comes after the successful VAKA Forum held with municipal councils earlier this month.
PRF founder Amitesh Deo said this signalled a major breakthrough for Fiji’s waste management landscape, marking the first time that municipal councils have collectively aligned with a grassroots recycling organisation to pursue long-term and systemic solutions, directly responding to the waste management crisis.
He said municipal councils that had already confirmed their endorsement are Nausori, Suva, Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua, Rakiraki, Labasa, Savusavu, and Levuka, with further confirmations expected.
“These strategies will encompass activity planning, resource mobilisation plan, shared values and principles that align with PRF’s community-centred approach to sustainable waste management,” Mr Deo said in a statement.
“Continuous discussions will take place between the respective municipal councils and Pacific Recycling Foundation to implement, assess progress, and share updates for possible recycling solutions.
“Pacific Recycling Foundation will incorporate, where needed, an independent academic lens to ensure science and evidence-based analysis of the implementation output of the recycling solutions with the respective municipal councils.”
He said a forum will be organised every six months for municipal councils and the Pacific Recycling Foundation to strengthen collaboration, review progress, identify and address gaps, and enhance local recycling solutions.
Mr Deo said these outcomes are strategically designed to deliver measurable and practical results.
He stated that this partnership will not only focus on the collection of a few recyclables but will involve a wider infrastructure-based approach, including training, implementation of recycling systems, diversion of more recyclables away from landfills, monitoring of data, lessons learned, and academic validation of implementation outcomes.
Minister for Housing and Local Government, Maciu Nalumisa commended the initiative and emphasised the need for alignment between councils and grassroots recycling organisations.
“I call on all the municipal councils to align your waste management plans and visions with grassroots recycling organisations, ensuring measurable and practical implementation strategies that bring meaningful change, which will enable you to serve your municipality more effectively,” Mr Nalumisa said.
PRF said the VAKA Forum series will also expand to other key sectors, ensuring that Fiji moves forward with shared responsibility and a united commitment to systemic change.
