Editorial: Just do not litter!

Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga’s parliamentary comment on Tuesday: “Just do not litter!,” should be Fiji’s quote of the week.

It is simple, direct. We should all understand, and take heed now.

Careless and illegal littering is now a norm in Fiji. It has become a way of life. Roadsides, drains, parks, beaches, villages, playing grounds, stadiums and towns are now rubbish dumping grounds. Plastic bags, drink bottles, food wrappers, cigarette butts and even used diapers are left behind.

Enough is enough.

Government deserves credit for confronting what Environment and Climate Change Minister Lynda Tabuya has described as Fiji becoming a “throwaway society.” The introduction of fines from $40 to $200 is timely and necessary. But enforcement must be fair.

The Litter Act must apply to everyone: ordinary Fijians, children, businesses, industries, corporations and people in high office. There must be no political, social or economic exemptions.

Litter officers from municipal councils, the Fiji Police Force and the Land Transport Authority must be properly empowered and supported to enforce the law. Offenders should be immediately ordered to clean up the rubbish they have thrown. On the spot.

Fiji relies on her natural beauty. Our pristine beaches are littered with plastics, bottles and other waste. Illegal dumping damages the environment, threatens wildlife, contributes to flooding when drains are blocked, and pollutes our oceans and waterways. It damages Fiji’s image as a tourist destination.

Government must also catch the big fish.

If the National Integrated Waste Management and Pollution Control Strategy 2026–2035 is serious about cleaning Fiji, industries must face the same scrutiny as individuals. Used oil, car parts, industrial waste, abandoned and derelict vessels, and hazardous materials must not pollute our land and waterways.

Awareness must begin at home, in schools, villages, workplaces and communities. This must become a national clean-up campaign. No one should be spared. No matter who they are.

Fiji cannot afford to become a throwaway society. Just do not litter.