News - Jun 13, 2022 On the Path to Circular Management of Waste

Diverting waste away from landfills is a key priority of the Majuro Atoll Waste Company (MAWC).

Recognising that circular solutions provide long-term results for waste management, MAWC has been working hard recently to implement two key activities to manage two problematic waste streams; PET plastic bottles and organics.

PET plastic bottles are collected in the RMI CDL scheme, but in the past few years, MAWC was unable to find buyers for this product and establish a financially viable way to ship it overseas for recycling.  Instead, the PET bottles were being stockpiled or ended up at the landfill.  This changed in May 2022 with MAWC, identifying a buyer of PET in Australia (VISY Plastic) and using the Moana Taka scheme who provided the sea container hire and international shipping for free, exporting a container of baled PET bottles from the RMI to a facility for recycling.

Majuro has a new compost facility in the community of Laura but has been unsuccessful at producing compost due to a lack of nitrogen sources, and a lack of options for transporting organic materials from disposal at the main landfill to the compost facility, about 40km.

The PacWastePlus project will assist by providing a transport solution (procurement is underway) but in the meantime, the MAWC compost facility is making and selling its first compost.  They are using organic materials available from the Laura area and mixing them with newly identified nitrogen sources; copra cake and fish waste.  The compost was bagged and sold for $5 – demand for the local compost was high!