Bala, JICA Sign Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Agreement on Waste

Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment Parveen Bala and JICA Fiji resident representative Yukari Ono signed an agreement on a solid waste management project yesterday.

This was at the launch of the World Environment Day celebrations at the Rishikul Sanatan College. The project is known as the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for the Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Management in the Pacific Island Countries (JPRISM).

Mr Bala said the programme basically promoted 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) activities including Home Composting Subsidy Programme and Clean Schools programme in the country. They are aimed to create awareness on recycling plastic materials.

Mr Bala also added that in promoting solid waste management and the 3R programme his ministry would officially launch the distribution of recycling bins in selected schools (primary and secondary) around the country. “This programme would also create awareness on recycling plastic materials such as plastic packaging and PET Bottles among students in schools,” he said.

This regional project is implemented by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

The purpose of J-PRISM is human and institutional capacity building for sustainable Solid Waste management in the Pacific Region which is aligned with the implementation of the regional strategy known as “Cleaner Pacific 2025”.

With the inclusion of Fiji, there are nine member countries in the Pacific which includes Federal States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu that are part of this regional project.