Fiji has launched the second phase of the Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP2) project, aimed at strengthening national waste systems and reducing the flow of waste into rivers and the marine environment.
The project, supported by the Agence Française de Développement and implemented through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, will support practical improvements in waste data systems, waste interception infrastructure, and the management of priority waste streams such as used oil.
Speaking at the launch at the French Residence in Suva, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Sivendra Michael, said the Pacific was no longer at the stage of identifying the problem.
“We know the pressures, we understand the risks, and increasingly we know what works. The real challenge now is whether our institutions and systems are strong enough to deliver solutions at the scale and speed these environmental pressures demand,” he said.
Dr Michael said waste management remains one of Fiji’s most pressing environmental challenges, with growing pressure on urban systems, waterways, and coastal areas as waste volumes continue to rise. He said recent waste audits and marine litter surveys in Fiji showed plastics accounted for nearly 80 per cent of litter collected, reflecting wider systemic gaps in how waste is managed on land before it reaches the ocean.
He said Fiji’s response must now move beyond clean-up efforts and focus on stronger systems, better infrastructure, and practical interventions that prevent waste leakage at source.
Through SWAP2, Fiji will strengthen waste monitoring through infrastructure such as weighbridges, expand practical interventions such as trash booms in key waterways, and improve systems for managing difficult waste streams, including used oil.
SPREP Director for Environment Programme, Mr. Amena Yauvoli said marine litter remained one of the Pacific’s most urgent environmental concerns, threatening ecosystems, livelihoods, and the ocean that sustains Pacific communities.
“Our ocean defines who we are as Pacific people. It sustains our livelihoods, shapes our cultures, and connects our islands. Yet it is increasingly under threat from waste and pollution, particularly marine litter,” he said.
The SWAP2 project forms part of a broader national effort to modernize Fiji’s waste management framework, including proposed amendments to the Litter Act 2008 and the finalization of Fiji’s Integrated Waste Management Strategy.