The Lautoka City Council (LCC) and Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) has opened a recycling centre in Lautoka.

LCC director Health Service Rouhit Karan Singh said the move coincided with their motto: Ever Green, Ever Clean, Lautoka City.

“3R, as transformation tool to achieve sustainable development, ensures environment conservation and resilience, enhances social development and promote economic growth,” Mr Rao said.

Currently the council is implementing five (5) components of the 3R principle which are home composting, separate collection recyclables, market waste composting, green waste chipping and the Vunato Rubbish Dump rehabilitation.

“This recycling centre will deal with separate collection of recycling. Currently the recyclables are collected from the Veitari ward and this will to other areas of the city.

“The percentage rate is very low despite council carrying out curb site collection twice a month.

“This is a very expensive exercise for the council. There is also only one recycler that accepts all the recyclable items by the collector.

“The council thought to have a recycle centre at this ideal location whereby all residents and visitors of the city can discharge recyclables and have an easy access,” he said.

The Lautoka City Council has been working with JICA for the last seven years since the start of the previous project which focused on waste minimization and recycle.

It aims to develop and increase the capacity of those countries in terms of solid waste management through various project activities.

The LCC has decided to resume its initiative to collect recyclable items in order to take on the challenge again for waste minimization.

JICA and J-PRISM Chief Advisor Shiro Amano said, “We will closely monitor whether or not the initiative will work and will take lessons from this initiative for further actions.

“The primary objective of J-PRISM is to increase the capacity of the target countries at individual, organizational and social levels.”

The LTC humbly requests residents to change their attitude and take back the gospel of Recycling to their homes, schools, communities and instill recycling habit to make a difference.

Feedback: sheetal.prasad@fijisun.com.fj