Precious Plastic Fiji aims to set up recycling hubs around the country to minimise the effects of plastics on the environment and maximise products made out of recycled plastics.

This was highlighted by Zen Waqavonovono, one of the coordinators of Precious Plastic Fiji, in an interview at the Pacific Plasticity workshop yesterday.

“Plans are underway to set up inside custom-made shipping containers, working with machines like plastic shredders, plastic extruder, injection moulders and sheet press,” Mr Waqavonovono said.

“What this machine does is it melts plastics turning it into ropes, while the injection moulder machine melts the plastic moulding and the final products into bowls and cups

while the sheet presser compresses it into flat pieces,”

He adds that communities around Fiji will have access to the recycling machines, however education is key to communities on public awareness about how plastic can be recycled and how they can be resourceful with wastes.

The organisation funds its own programme and the money that is earned from the recycled products will go into running the waste hubs that will be set up.

Precious Plastic Fiji, a non-government organisation (NGO) is dedicated to the eradication of plastic waste since its inception in November 2017.

It is being facilitated through collaboration between Precious Plastic Fiji, UNICEF and Field Ready Fiji, a local branch of a US-based NGO.

Edited by Susana Tuilau

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