Lautoka Market Waste Composting Success Highlighted In Global Forum

While he admitted that there are lots of challenges, including the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, Mr Singh said they see more value in persisting with a project he believes can only be good for the Fijian people and the environment. 

He referred to the threats on public health if the waste is left unaddressed, noting the alarming increase in the volume of waste generated on a daily basis. The project deals with an average of 1.2 tonnes of waste per day, which is transported to the Vunato Landfill where it is sorted and converted to compost.

Aside from the growing popularity of the project on farmers who have been buying the compost from the Lautoka market, more and more families in the Fiji province have gotten into home composting. With the help of the Fijian government, close to five hundred households have started home composting in their backyards, which is a positive indicator for the bid to keep Fiji clean, Mr Singh said. 

He added that they are strong believers in the 3Rs and is adamant that they are on the right track. He also acknowledged the assistance of their key partners including the Fijian government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Mr Singh spoke during the Circular Economy Summit Roundtable of the 3rd CPRT, which looked at what circular economy means from a global perspective, a Pacific perspective and how the region can achieve circular economy.  The concept of Circular Economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.

Co-moderated by Mr Damien Giurco, Deputy Director, Research: Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, and Ms Kate Noble, World Wildlife Federation (WWF), the Circular Economy Summit was divided into three Talanoa Sessions.