News - Nov 8, 2024 Fiji’s commences development of National Waste management bylaws for iTaukei Villages

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.