Solomon Islands is one step closer to implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) following the awarding of a tender to Searious Business, to work with the National EPR Working Group to design the EPR system for the nation.

Ms. Debra Kereseka, Deputy Director , Department of Environment Conservation said: “The development of national legislation for Extended Producer Responsibility is a big step forward for the Solomon Islands, and will go a long way to reducing the amount of litter we experience in our country.

“Along with the National Legislation, we will develop a Regulation for the development of an EPR System for beverage containers initially, ensuring there is incentives available for residents and visitors to return their containers to a redemption location to receive a payment, and we are exploring with some of our development partners, the potential to develop other Regulations that implement similar schemes for item such as e-waste”.

Solomon Islands joins, Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, and Vanuatu as Pacific Island countries actively developing Expended Producer Responsibility laws, and will soon join Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, and Tuvalu who already have implemented similar schemes.

Mr. Bradley Nolan, PacWastePlus Programme Manager, said: “This work and the feasibility studies completed in Papua New Guinea and Tonga means the Pacific is now poised to be the first region in the world implementing EPR schemes”

“EPR is an important tool in countries tool boxes for managing waste – especially complex waste like plastic items and e-waste that typically cannot be processed in the Pacific.

“These items cost money to collect and transport out of the region, and the EPR schemes provide the legal vehicle to require importers and manufacturers to assist consumers and national governments to fund the capture and processing of these items, to ensure the Pacific Environment is protected from pollution.”

PacWastePlus has developed a suite of resources to assist national governments to design and implement EPR schemes which can be downloaded from the programme website at www.pacwasteplus.org

The PacWastePlus national project for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is focusing on diverting organic waste from landfill, into recovery and composting processes to reduce negative impacts on the environment .

The PacWastePlus project has also upgraded access to the Yap composting facility and purchased a suite of tools to assist the operation, which is now producing 0.47 tonnes (470 kg) of compost each month for community use.

In the coming months, the project is scheduled to construct communal composting infrastructure will be installed in Rumuu and Tenfar in Yap.

The work in Chuuk are at a different stages. Tenders for the construction of a large ‘island-scale’ composting facility is closing in the coming weeks, along with tenders for a large chipper, and associated tools.

It means that in early 2025, the island of Weno, Chuuk, will be operating a large facility that will receive organic waste from the government departments of agriculture, infrastructure, and power corporation, as well as the organic waste from the A& A Family markets.

The compost generated from the facility will be sold back to A&A Family markets to increase their production yield.

The Fijian iTaukei Affairs Board is working with the PacWastePlus Project to implement Organic waste management infrastructure and processes in remote villages that do not receive government waste collection services.

At the same time, they are also working with the GEF ISLANDS Project to implement waste segregation of common recyclable items.

The Board and the Ministry are also now working with PacWastePlus to develop a National iTaukei Affairs Waste Management bylaw that will utilise the existing Fiji Municipal Council Waste Management bylaw, consider the difference with the management of traditional iTaukei Villages, and utilise the outputs of the who donor projects to develop a Standard National iTaukei Village Waste Management Bylaw.

The National Bylaw will then be utilised by each of the nine Provincial Governments to tailor to their specific circumstances, and roll out throughout their villages.

Manager Conservation Unit, Ms. Talei Kocovanua said: “The creation of a national Waste management bylaw that will be applied in all iTaukei Villages means we will be able to implement significant change and improvement in waste management throughout the nine Provinces of Fiji all at once.

“The bylaws will include traditional knowledge practices where appropriate, and focus on the recovery and reuse of resources, composting of organics to assist local food production, and segregation of common recyclable materials to reduce waste to landfill, and prepare for the Fiji Government to implement a Product Stewardship Scheme, so the villages can start to earn money by returning their containers to redemption centres.”

The bylaws are expected to be completed in early November, ahead of being socialised with the Provincial Governments for their implementation.

The Solomon Islands face an ongoing waste management crisis, particularly in the Tuvaruhu community in Honiara.

Inconsistent waste collection services force residents to find alternative methods, such as storing waste in metal drums or burning it when it accumulates. This has led to widespread environmental pollution and normalised improper waste disposal habits. Compounding the issue is the lack of waste segregation and disposal infrastructure, which encourages practices like dumping waste in the nearby Mataniko River, contributing to health and environmental hazards.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and the PacWastePlus programme, a behavioural change initiative to improve waste management in Tuvaruhu project was designed and commenced.

Through community consultations, fieldwork, and a series of pre-tests, key behavioural drivers and barriers of behaviour were identified. These insights informed the development of tailored interventions that promote sustainable waste practices, focusing on both economic incentives and community engagement to shift deeply ingrained waste management behaviours.

The research highlighted the need for viable alternatives to current waste disposal methods, as well as the potential to foster a circular economy in Tuvaruhu.

There is already some community engagement, with women’s groups and youth clubs already practicing recycling and composting. Based on these findings, the ‘Tanem Tuvaruhu ‘initiative was created, which includes a community hub for circular economy practices, waste collection pathways, and a dedicated market for selling recycled goods.

The next steps involve piloting these interventions, establishing infrastructure for waste segregation, and supporting local entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses that contribute to a circular economy.

Papua New Guinea (PNG), like many Pacific Island nations, faces growing challenges in handling the issue of e-waste management, particularly in Ensisi Valley, a suburb of Port Moresby.

Improper disposal of e-waste, including burning and burying, is leading to significant health hazards and environmental degradation, as toxic chemicals are released into the air and soil.

Despite existing, yet unreliable, waste collection services, there is a lack of dedicated infrastructure for e-waste, and community members are often unaware of the proper handling and disposal methods.

This project aims to strategically address these gaps, aligning with the broader goals of the PacWastePlus program to enhance waste management systems and reduce harmful environmental impacts across the Pacific. The goal of this project under PacWastePlus is to implement a behaviour change initiative aimed at improving e-waste management specifically in Ensisi Valley.

Through community engagement, key insights were identified: although many people try to repair electronics before discarding them, improper disposal methods are still widespread; Community attitudes revealed there is little infrastructure for e-waste recycling; and e-waste is often seen as a nuisance rather than a resource.

This research informed the design of a tailored intervention, “Don’t Let Your E-Waste Go to Waste,” which combines community engagement with strategic communications to raise awareness of the dangers of improper disposal. The project is reframing e-waste as a potential resource, encouraging upcycling and sustainable reuse practices through targeted messaging.

A communications campaign to educate the community on the health risks associated with e-waste and provide practical and safe DIY upcycling solutions, leveraging community leaders and their presence on digital platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, alongside physical collateral has been launched. Next steps involve establishing a robust monitoring framework to measure the community’s engagement and behaviour shifts, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact.

Vanuatu is grappling with a significant waste management issue, that is disposable diapers which accounts for 26% of litter on its beaches, posing serious environmental and public health risks. Despite the presence of reusable nappies, the community is drawn to disposable diapers, viewing them as more modern and convenient, despite their higher long-term costs.

As part of the PacWastePlus initiative, ThinkPlace has been leading an innovative behaviour change initiative in Vanuatu that seeks to shift these behaviours by fostering a culture of reusable nappy use, addressing both practical barriers and social perceptions tied to disposable diaper usage.

Through research and in-person engagement with communities across both urban and rural areas in Vanuatu, key barriers to reusable nappy adoption were identified.

Some mothers, influenced by social norms, often view disposable diapers as a status symbols, while older generations are more inclined toward reusable nappies. The burden of washing reusable nappies and limited awareness of the environmental damage caused by disposables have further hindered uptake.

However, findings highlight significant opportunities to alter this trajectory by making reusable nappies more desirable and accessible through strategic interventions that leverage social influence and entrepreneurial innovation.

To achieve meaningful and sustained behaviour change, a three-part intervention strategy is now under way. The Taff Mamma social media campaign will target younger mothers, reshaping perceptions of reusable nappies by associating them with modern, aspirational lifestyles.

The Your Poo Our Problem (YPOP) initiative will foster local entrepreneurship by enabling community-based nappy cleaning services, reducing the perceived inconvenience of reusables.

Additionally, the Klin Laef campaign will engage communities through targeted communication to raise awareness of the environmental and health impacts of disposable diapers.

Together, these interventions are designed to build a sustainable, community-driven shift toward reusable nappies, positioning Vanuatu as a leader in waste reduction and environmental stewardship in the Pacific.

A critical series of Healthcare Waste Management training is being rolled out across the Pacific region to protect Pacific communities against the harm such waste causes.

The PacWastePlus Project has engaged Mike Ritchie & Associates to roll out the training, with the course being delivered to all countries that responded positively to the recent expression of interest to receive Capacity Building training on various waste streams.

The training will deliver a ‘train-the-trainer’ course so the participants, largely hospital staff or representatives from the Ministry of Health, will be able to take what they learn, as well as the documentation, and deliver the training to their colleagues.

“Healthcare waste – also called hospital, clinical or medical waste – is the range of waste generated by hospitals and health clinics and contains some hazardous waste requiring specific treatment,” said Mr Ritchie.

“Healthcare waste is hazardous because it has the potential to be infectious to humans, or cause injury, and may contaminate the environment; therefore, proper treatment and disposal is needed to protect people and our natural surroundings.”

The training is made up of a series of training modules on good practices in health-care waste management covering all aspects of waste management activities from identification and classification of wastes to considerations guiding their safe disposal using both non-incineration or incineration strategies.

Mr Ritchie is currently undertaking a tour of the region delivering the training between now and late December. The training will be delivered in the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei & Kosrae), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

In addition, Mr. Bomai Kobil, of Pacific Waste to Energy Industry Limited, is delivering dedicated training courses to 15 of the 22 Public Health Authorities in Papua New Guinea.

A guideline that provides practical advice to assist authorities in the delivery of effective waste management practices in Timor-Leste has been developed.

Following a direct request from the Timor-Leste Government, the PacWastePlus Programme provided assistance with the development of the National Waste Management Guideline.

To ensure it is easily understood by the local population, the Guideline has been translated from English into Tetun.

The overarching goal of the Guideline is to improve human and environmental health outcomes for all Timorese.

The Guideline focuses on the collection, transport, and disposal of domestic and commercial waste across all regions of the country.

It provides practical guidance for issues like: the proper disposal of waste residential and business waste; the safe and proper interim storage of waste before collection; the proper and safe handling of waste by waste management workers, with a specific focus on PPE requirements; and the proper and safe disposal of waste at dumpsites.

The Guideline will be governed by the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation’s Regulations (DRNAS), whom will work the Ministry of State administration, and the Local Governments to build awareness, capacity, and compliance with the National Guideline.

The Papua New Guinea Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) has commenced work on the development of a National Strategy to guide the management of e-waste, which is a fast growing waste stream in the Pacific Island Country.

“We are being approached by businesses seeking to establish e-waste processing systems, and need to ensure we understand what they want to do, how we can protect the people and environment of Papua new Guinea, and how we can manage and ensure compliance with our laws,” said CEPA Manager, Mr. Veari Kula.

“The development of the Strategy and associated management guidelines will ensure CEPA is able to undertake its functions for protecting our people and the environment from possible harm from improper management of e-waste.”

The National Strategy will be accompanied by several Guidelines to assist the management of e-waste. These include e-waste management for local governments; guidance on minimum standards for e-waste collection, processing, storage, minor dismantling, pre-processing, full processing, and export; guidelines on e-waste processing facility establishment, needs, and compliance actions; and Guidance on identifying markets for various e-waste commodities and processes to be followed to enable export of materials in compliance with the necessary legislation and MEAs governing these materials.

“These guidelines will enable CEPA to effectively manage e-waste, and communicate with businesses interested in e-waste management, on what we expect them to comply with as they establish their businesses,” Mr. Kula said.

The Government and people of Banaba Island in Kiribati now have a single document that increases awareness of the locations of asbestos containing materials, guidance on how to identify and manage the materials, and how to safely remove them.

It follows the development of the Strategic Asbestos Management Plan (SAMP) through the PacWastePlus Programme which contracted Morecroft Environmental to undertake the work.

The activity included specialist abatement officers, and trained staff from Tarawa to travel by boat to Banaba Island, undertake training of local residents, and then safely remove asbestos containing materials from the local hospital and schools.

Over 30 tonnes of asbestos materials were removed and shipped to New Zealand for final disposal, the first such abatement works carried out on the island.

The process to develop the SAMP included assessment of 121 buildings on Banaba, and utilsed both field samples, and laboratory testing, identifying those buildings that contain asbestos .

“There are hundreds of tonnes of asbestos waste on the island of Banaba. The full extent of Asbestos Containing Materials on Banaba cannot be completely estimated. This asbestos waste will continue to be hazardous to the local population and the products degrade further the overall problem will only get worse over time, increasing the risk of exposure and associated health impacts,” said Mr. Dirk Catteral, Managing Director of Morecroft Environmental.

“The SAMP recommends all buildings showing a risk of medium or high be prioritised for abatement activities, and to establish a regular inspection programme to determine if risks increase due to degradation of the materials.

“We also recommend the development and introduction of an Asbestos management Code of Practice for Kiribati that will ensure the learnings from the Banaba Island activity, can be implemented across all islands.”