News - Oct 18, 2021 Regional Organics Project Underway

Up to 40% of Waste to Pacific landfills is comprised of organic materials.  By removing these materials from landfills and processing them into compost, we can almost double the life of landfills, reduce methane gas and toxic leachate, and provide a valuable commodity that can improve soil quality and crop yield.

To support countries to manage this waste type, PacWastePlus has commenced a Regional Organics Project to provide stakeholders in the Pacific, now and into the future, with practical resources and decision-support to design, implement and operate their own effective organics management solutions, appropriate for their own context.

The project has commenced with the review of existing and previous organic management facilities in the Pacific to understand what is working and where there may be opportunities for improvements and developing technical guidance on techniques for composting common materials in the Pacific. The intent of the study is to determine if the unique organic materials we have in the Pacific, such as high fibrous items such as coconut fronds and pandanus, and by-products from sugarcane and noni processing, can be effectively processed in a similar fashion to common processes, or if the fibrous structure of these materials needs different or additional processes to effectively compost them.

This technical investigation will include a review of what, if any, traditional knowledge practices may have been used by our ancestors to utilise those items.