'Composting could cut Fiji’s landfill waste by more than half'

More than half of Fiji’s waste could be diverted from landfills through composting, according to Canadian High Commission Head of Cooperation David Fournier.

Mr Fournier made the remarks during the handover of a three-tonne Isuzu truck, 40 wheelie bins, 100 compost bins and composting kits in Lautoka last Thursday.

He said Fiji was well positioned to make significant progress in waste reduction because organic material accounted for about 60 per cent of the country’s waste.

“Simply by composting, you can reduce your waste by more than 50 per cent,” he said.

Mr Fournier said poor waste disposal had become a growing global challenge with serious consequences for ecosystems, public health and economies.

“We have come to a point where careless waste disposal has become a critical global issue with devastating consequences for our ecosystem, public health, the economy and even our lovely turtles swimming in the ocean,” he said.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, municipal solid waste worldwide is projected to increase from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.

Mr Fournier said the Lautoka initiative demonstrated how local action and international partnerships could help address global environmental challenges.

“The world’s problems have become so complex that no country can solve them on its own,” he said.

“The world that was once so vast and mysterious has become much smaller and more interconnected, and today a plastic bottle thrown away in British Columbia can affect the life of a fisherman in Suva.”

Mr Fournier said Canada was expanding its support to the Pacific through a $40 million development programme over five years, focusing on climate action and gender equality.

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change senior environment officer West Kalikeni Sirivalu said the initiative would support Fiji’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement by reducing methane emissions from landfills.

“The handover represents more than just equipment support; it symbolises our shared commitment to reducing organic waste, minimising methane emissions, protecting public health and building cleaner and more sustainable communities for future generations,” he said.