By ASHWINI PRASAD
Friday, November 14, 2008

A PILOT program to begin in the New Year could see rubbish dumps used as a last resort when it comes to disposal of waste.

The pilot will be targeted at Nadi and Suva to begin with, seeing households taught how to minimise waste and carry out recycling.

This was confirmed at a meeting in Suva yesterday which followed up on a proposed Waste Minimisation and Recycling Promotion Project.

The project is the brainchild of an agreement between the Ministry of Local Government, Housing, Squatter Settlement and Environment and the JICA Technical Cooperation.

The main purpose of yesterday's meeting was to discuss and endorse an inception report submitted by two consultant companies -- Kokusai Kogyo Co Limited and EX Corporation -- who have been selected by JICA to undertake the project.

Principal environment officer Jope Davetanivalu said the project focuses on waste management and recycling, which is an important component of the recently launched National Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan.

He said it entailed minimising waste at source. This means taking action from the moment a decision is made to purchase a product. It would also focus on the sorting of waste at household level -- for either recycling or other alternative methods -- and would propose that land filling be used the last resort for waste disposal.

Mr Davetanivalu said a good system would have to be put in place to accommodate more practising of the 3Rs --- reduce, reuse and recycle.

He said if the pilot project in Nadi and Lautoka was successful, the project would be replicated in other parts of Fiji including the northern and central parts of the country.

He said the feasibility study in the two selected areas would provide good indication as to whether such a nationwide scheme was possible.

"The project will be very expensive," he said. "The project is expected to hit the ground in early 2009 where consultations will be done with the relevant stakeholders."

Article reproduced courtesy of Fiji Times Online - http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=106223