News - Mar 23, 2022 Waste Levy Depots Getting Closer for all Communities

Tuvalu introduced sustainable financing for waste scheme, the Waste Management (Levy Deposit) Regulation in August 2019, with the goal of having sustainable funds to support waste management.

The scheme has been operating successfully in the capital island, Funafuti, collecting just over a million PET bottles and aluminium cans each year (1,029,000 in 2020 and 1,045,000 2021)* but the communities in Tuvalu’s eight outer islands do not yet have facilities to participate in the scheme. Their “waste levy” items are still going to dumps are found littering the environment.

To resolve this inequality, the Tuvalu Department of Waste, with support from PacWastePlus, has finalised the design of small waste levy “depots” which will be operated by the island Waste Management Officers.  The sheds include areas for community drop-off and compacting the items, and storage bays. Recyclable items will be stored and transported back to Funafuti

“It is important for us that all communities in Tuvalu have equal access to waste facilities they can benefit from a cleaner environment”, says Department of Waste Management Director Epu Falenga.

Source: JPRISM II