Pacific Islands learn waste management

REPRESENTATIVES from 15 Pacific Islands have come together for the PacWaste Plus inception meeting to learn about waste management in the region.
The programme is a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and focuses on building the capacity of the Cook Islands, Timor-Leste, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to manage waste in an environmentally sound manner.
The PacWaste Plus Programme Agreement which was signed between the EU and SPREP in February at SPREP’s headquarters in Apia, Samoa, will be for five years with a €16.5 million (K62.24m) budget.
The project seeks to support the 15 participating countries to reduce the production of, and improve the management of, hazardous wastes, solid wastes and related aspects of waste water.
It will work to assist countries to improve data collection to inform decision making, strengthen legislative and policy frameworks, incentivise public and private partnerships in the waste sector, and build the capacity of governments, industry and the community to reduce waste generation, and effectively manage wastes that are generated.