News - Oct 26, 2022 Programme Commence Implementation of activities in the Federated State of Micronesia

The PacWastePlus Programme has commenced implementing activities in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) following a successful mission to Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap in October.

PacWastePlus is partnering with the Chuuk Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Yap EPA to design and implement projects in both Chuuk and Yap to divert organic materials away from landfill and repurpose these items into materials that will support agricultural activities.

The project activities will facilitate the construction of an organic processing facility in Neouo to receive all collected organic materials in Weno, Chuuk State and design and implement a communal organic processing programme for communities that cannot access garbage collection services in Chuuk State.

Project actions also include improving the capacity of the existing organic processing facility in Yap to receive additional organic material from Colonia and targeted education and awareness activities in both states.

The PacWastePlus Programme Management Unit paid a courtesy visit to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) national focal point in Pohnpei before undertaking a mission to the state of Chuuk and Yap where they worked directly with implementing partners, the State EPAs, to confirm workplans, and facilitated several stakeholder consultation sessions.

The PacWastePlus team met with representatives from local CSOs and women’s group to draft an Education and Awareness Plan for Chuuk. This plan will provide guidance to the Environment Protection Agency on key awareness activities to be implemented in the state to raise awareness of proper waste management.

The organic waste projects in FSM are just one element of the PacWastePlus Programme which is working throughout the Pacific to assist countries in improving the management of e-waste, healthcare waste, asbestos, recyclables, organic waste, disaster waste, bulky waste, and waste water.

The European Union (EU) Pacific Waste Management Programme (PacWastePlus) is a EUR 16.5 million, 72-month programme funded by the EU and implemented by SPREP in 14 Pacific Island Countries and Timor Leste.