Solid Waste Management

While Pacific islands differ in many respects such as topography, population density, economic development, etc, waste management is commonly recognised as a major concern for Pacific Island countries (PICs) with the potential to cause negative impacts on national development activities, including tourism and trade, food supplies, public health and the environment.

Need for Effective Management

The generation and disposal of wastes has direct and indirect linkages to economic development. Waste materials represent wasted money, in terms of both the original cost of the materials, the costs of disposal, and also the potential value of the material as a reusable resource. Poorly managed wastes can have negative effects on tourism, by detracting from the “Pacific Paradise” image promoted by most PICs, and by association with health warnings about infectious and vector-borne diseases. There is the potential for contamination of food supplies, which can have impacts on local markets or revenue from export crops. And there are numerous health and environmental hazards that arise when wastes are poorly managed and disposed.
Conversely, the benefits from good waste management can include reduced raw material costs, enhancement of the tourism experience, reduced health care costs. Effective measures now will also avoid the need for expensive clean-up operations in the future

SPREP’s Role in Solid Waste Management

SPREP is to assist member countries in increasing their capacity to effectively manage and respond to problems associated with solid waste in order to keep the Pacific islands clean and safe.

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