News - Jun 4, 2025 PacWastePlus Behaviour Change in Papua New Guinea Wraps Up
The PacWastePlus-designed and implemented behaviour change pilot project in Papua New Guinea has wrapped up.
The ‘Ensisi Valley Trash to Treasure’ initiative aimed to improve e-waste management in Ensisi Valley, Port Moresby, by promoting behaviour change through awareness campaigns, upcycling initiatives, and safe disposal practices.
The project identified key challenges, including a lack of formal e -waste infra structure, unsafe informal recycling, and fragmented waste management services. Implementation involved a multi -channel approach, including posters, a WhatsApp community group, and hands-on workshops.
While engagement was high, the absence of disposal facilities limited long -term impact.
The challenge
Awareness and treatment of e -waste vary across Ensisi Valley. Initial insights from ShareWork Consultancy indicate that while waste collection services exist, they are often inconsistent, unreliable, and lack proper PPE. Port Moresby’s waste management system does not include specialised e -waste handling. Community members report generally attempting to repair devices before discarding t hem, often taking them to local repair shops. Electronics that cannot be repaired are often stored under houses, dumped, buried or occasionally added to general waste piles for burning. Some institutions, like churches, repurpose decommissioned technology through structured drop off, blessing and redistribution efforts.
Aim of this project
The aim of this project i s to improve and enhance e -waste management activities in Papua New Guinea to reduce the impact on human health and the environment through improper disposal methods such as burying and burning. The key outcome of this project is to design, implement and measure a behavioural intervention that improves e-waste management in the Ensisi Valley Suburb of Port Moresby to curb health and environmental problems from improper e-waste disposal for the region.
The developed intervention/s needs to be monitored and evaluated, with clearly measurable outcomes to support analysis of effective behaviour change relating to e-waste management.
Key learnings and recommendations
This section out lines key learnings from the ‘Trash to Trea sure’ intervention and provides actionable recommendations to enhance e-waste management efforts in Ensisi Valley and beyond.
One of the most significant challenges faced during implementation was the lack of proper infrastructure to support behaviour change regarding e -waste. Without adequate e-waste collection and recycling facilities, community members who were willing to adopt responsible disposal practices had limited accessible means to do so. Additionally, general waste management in Port Moresby remains fragment ed, making it difficult to coordinate efforts and align interventions with existing services. Many waste collection operators work independently, resulting in inconsistencies in service provision and further complicating efforts to establish centralised disposal solutions.
What worked well:_
- Community Engagement through Digital Platforms: WhatsApp groups and local leadership involvement created a strong peer-driven support system where participants reacted positively to e – waste solutions
- Upcycling an d Repair Initiatives: Many residents showed enthusiasm for extending the lifecycle of electronic products, demonstrating a willingness to shift towards more sustainable practices if there is a personally valuable outcome and given adequate support
- Visual Campaigns: Clear and compelling posters, combined with digital outreach, enhanced community understanding of the risks associated wit h improper e -waste disposal
Key challenges identified:_
- Lack of Supportive Infrastructure: No dedicated e-waste facilities meant that most e-waste was either discarded improperly or hoarded due to t he la ck of alternatives. Existing waste management services were not equipped to handle e -waste safely, and the public ha s limited capabilities to upcycle large a mounts of e-waste. In lieu of the appropriate infrastructure, opportunities for changes in behaviour that could have a material impact on e -waste was more limited.
- Limited scope to awareness raising: As a result of the infra structural barriers, the behaviour change opportunities were primarily limit ed to general awareness raising on e -waste. These messaging campaigns were effective in educating the community, should the infrastructural barriers be addressed in the future the communities may be more likely to take them up. However, in lieu of that infrastructure knowledge alone will not be sufficient to translate into sustained behaviour change.
- Limited Follow-Through Mechanisms : Although engagement levels were high during the campaign, there were no formalised events or systems in place to ensure sustained adopt ion of responsible e – waste disposal behaviours
To ensure that the lessons learned from this initiative translate into meaningful, long -term impact, the following targeted recommendations are provided. These recommendations address the structural, community, and policy-related factors that can influence future interventions to drive lasting behaviour change while mitigating the environmental and health risks associated with improper e -waste disposal.
Invest in E-Waste Infrastructure to Support Community Level Behaviour Change
One of the primary barriers to sustained behaviour change was the lack of infrastructure to support responsible e-waste disposal. Future initiatives should prioritise the establishment of designated e- waste collection points in high -traffic areas such as schools, community centres, and shopping hubs. Collaboration with government bodies, private sector stakeholders, and waste management organisations is essential to ensure upkeep, consistency in collection and the long -term sustainability of these facilities.
Introduce Incentives and Economic Opportunities to Encourage Sustainable Practices
People are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviours when there are clear persona l benefits to doing so. One of the key lessons from the ‘ Trash to Treasure’ campaign was that while upcycling ideas generated interest, they often lacked sufficient incentives beyond simple household repurposing. Many community members engaged in upcycling initiatives but expressed more interest towards opportunities to turn these efforts into income -generating activities.
Implementing trade-in programs for electronics or providing microfinance opportunities for individuals engaged in upcycling and e-waste repurposing, offering financial incentives for responsible disposal, and creating social recognition programs for sustainability champions within the community can drive higher participation rates.
Another economic opportunity could involve safely managed e -waste salvaging and upcycling workshops to equip individuals with the skills to repurpose old electronics. These initiatives can serve as hubs for skill-building, where residents learn how to repair common household electronics, safely extract valuable materials, and explore entrepreneurial opportunities in the circular economy. By partnering with technical experts and vocational institutions, these workshops can provide certification programs, creating pathways for employment in the growing field of sustainable e -waste management. These workshops should include hands -on training in safely repairing devices, dismantling for reusable parts, and creating innovative new uses for outdated electronics.