Fiji eyes complete ban on single-use plastics

The Government is working towards banning all forms of single-use plastics in Fiji, the permanent secretary for Environment and Climate Change revealed today.

Dr Sivendra Michael said the ban would require comprehensive data on plastic use and its impact before implementation.

"The Government of the day is really working hard with the instructions of the Honourable Prime Minister to look at a way to ban all forms of plastics, single-use plastics - so complete ban of single-use plastics," Mr Michael said.

He was speaking at the opening of a three-day workshop on strengthening Fiji's national data systems at Novotel Conference Room in Lami today.

Dr Michael said data was needed to understand how the ban would affect different sectors before implementing it.

"We need data to be able to understand if we are making these decisions, how it affects the sectors, what the ramifications would be, what would be alternatives, are there standards in place to have these alternatives recognised," he said.

Fiji currently has partial bans on single-use plastics introduced in 2020 and 2021.

Plastic bags made of polyethylene less than 50 microns thick were banned in January 2020, while polystyrene cups, containers, trays and plates were banned in August 2021.

Currently, certain industries including health and agriculture are exempted from plastic restrictions.

Mr Michael said government needed to develop a national inventory on plastics to understand how much enters the country, how much goes to recycling stations and what ends up in landfills.

"We need good data to be able to advise us on the pathways that we should be taking in terms of investment priorities," he said.

He said the Ocean Accounts work would look at ecological, social and economic impacts of plastic pollution in the marine environment.

The findings would provide justification for reforms to benefit the economy.

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