New project tackles waste disposal woes

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday February 26th, 2014

 By LAZARUS BIRA

THE 3R heart pilot project of the National Capital District Commission’s waste management division is attempting to address waste disposal in Port Moresby.

The project is aimed at reducing, re-using and recycling solid waste to the disposals.

The project was introduced last year, with a logo design competition in which elementary to secondary school students were involved to educate them on minimising solid wastes and controlling them effectively.

Acting manager of NCDC waste management division, Joshua Sam, said the project outputs were dump improvement and rehabilitation, improvement of waste collection system and development of waste management system.

A work collection was conducted yesterday by the NCDC waste management team and its project partner the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) waste management division.

Sam said the project was timely because of the population increase, spatial developments; LNG project impacts and expansion of businesses in NCD.

He said waste could have negative impacts on our environment, health, economy and the tourism industry.

“Waste production is closely related to where people live, consume and throw things away,” Sam said. 

He said a study had shown that each person in NCD was producing 0.4kg of waste per day and if the population was 300,000 to 400,000, they would produce 300 to 400 tonnes per year.

He said an average of 120 tonnes of waste was disposed per day in NCD.

Sam said waste volume above 50 tonnes a year required the attention of the city authority.

The project is trying to change people’s behaviour to help manage waste properly.

“We are trying to change consumers’ behaviour and power of marketing,” he said.

Sam said 3R would attempt to make people think before they buy things.

“We want to see people go to 

shops with bilums so they do not use plastics.”

The five-year pilot project, implemented by NCDC through JICA, will be handed over to NCDC when completed.