Kamna Kumar 
[File Photo]
Fiji is making progress to improve its waste management system, addressing key issues like illegal dumping and limited recycling infrastructure.
The government is finalizing the Container Deposit Regulation, which aims to set up collection points across the country for recyclables, including e-waste and green waste. This is expected to help scale up recycling efforts and reduce waste.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Sivendra Michael, says the CDR was first endorsed by Cabinet in 2012 but had to be rescinded due to a lack of industry consultation.
Dr. Michael says the ministry aims to have the regulation in place by October 2025, with a draft already in progress.
“What the container deposit regulation would do is allow collection points throughout the country where people can take their recyclables, and that can be scaled to different types of waste like e-waste, green waste, and moving into other types of waste that we can use for energy products or substitutes like tires and so forth.”
He says the government is applying lessons learned to ensure the Western Landfill is different from the Naboro Landfill.
He adds this includes introducing sorting at the source and developing infrastructure where only waste that cannot be managed by other sub-units ends up in the landfill.
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