Fiji

(1) The plastic bag levy (initially – year 1) followed by a Single use plastic Bag Ban.

Targeted products: Single Use Plastic Bag

Brief description:
All single use plastic bag were banned in Fiji effective January 1, 2020. This ban was legislated through the Environment Management Act 2005 Section 45 (A).

A ban on Styrofoam (technically known as polystyrene) will come into effect on August 1, 2021. This upcoming ban includes the use, manufacture and import of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

containers for food packaging. This will again reduce the litter issue significantly.

The pathway towards the Container Deposit Regulation is well underway with the stakeholder consultation process (prescribed in the legislation) initiated.

We see a positive improvement from last two years.

Single use plastic bag ban has highly contributed to reduced number of bags that end up in landfills, by reducing their use at the source.

Numerical data if any: The fuel retailer segment alone reported a 75% fall in plastic bag consumption (following the levy in year 1)

Ban on single use plastic bags

Brief description:
Members of the public have begun to use environmentally friendly/reusable eco-bags instead of Single Use Plastic Bags.

Actions/Legislations listed above will result in the reduction of microplastics in the Marine Environment.

Brief description:
Same as above

We do not see any particular trend

Comments: it will be hard to quantify the impacts as research is at initial stage. More resources (technical and financial will be required to carry out more focused research in this area).

The Environment Management Act 2005 and Environment Management (Waste Disposal and Recycling) Regulation 2007’s waste Permitting system allows Fiji to regulate the disposal of solid waste from industrial and commercial facilities.

Brief description:
Actions are reflected in the Waste Disposal Permit approval conditions, reporting requirements (6- monthly and annually) in the form of waste returns are submitted to the Department of Environment (DOE) and through the compliance and monitoring inspections conducted by the approved inspectors from the DOE.

We see a positive improvement from last two years

Following the issue of the Waste Disposal Permits, facilitates get back to the Department for further information to comply with the requirements.

Through monitoring and compliance inspections, more than 50 facilities have applied for the Waste Disposal Permits in order to comply with the Environment Management Act 2005

Numerical data if any:
88 noncompliance notices were issued by the DOE Officers to ensure that facilities comply with the requirements under the legislative framework.

Fiji has over 400 Litter Prevention Officers (LPOs) spread across the country (across the islands)

Brief description:
They have been empowered to enforce the Litter Act 2008.

Community awareness is ongoing and national campaigns have been ongoing.

Working in line with Government agencies and the youth groups of the country.

We see a positive improvement from last two years

continuous awareness and public outreach is key to behavior change.

Numerical data if any:
More than 450 litter officers are trained across Fiji who have fined over a thousand offenders till to date.

Measures

Achievements

Cleanup of marine plastic litter

Collection of scattered waste on beach

Individuals and community groups collect solid trash such as plastic litter on a volunteer basis.

Ongoing awareness work.

Trashnet

Brief description:
The Department of Environment’s Ocean Trash Audit Programme was launched by the Attorney General in June 2020 during the World Ocean’s Day at a River in Suva.

Based on the results and in partnerships with the Global CAPP program, Fiji has targeted its awareness, surveillance and compliance program.

We see a positive improvement fromlast two years

Awareness and survey was conducted in the area following the deployment of the trash-net.

Numerical data if any:
Within a span of 19 days (2 weeks and 5 days), these 5 major household wastes dominated the waste composition during the audit of the 2 waste booms at the river which are ranked in descending order. Total waste count of 2523 were collected.

Removal of plastic litter from the ocean

Ocean Trash-net Audit Program

Brief description:
The Department of Environment’s Ocean Trash Audit Programme was launched by the Attorney General in June 2020 during the World Ocean’s Day at a River in Suva.

We see a positive improvement from last two years

Awareness and survey was conducted in the area following the deployment of the trash-net. The trash-net will be deployed in other parts of the country to carry out similar audits.

Brief description: The Ministry of Environment has proactively developed a Waste Reduction Ambition Program leading to Zero Waste Business Recognition Program

– launching the program in partnership with the private sector. The concept will work with the private sector and closely establish the appropriate milestones fitting around each business environment. Work has been stymied by the current pandemic.

The government has also declared the Naboro Landfill Zone as a tax free or tax holiday zones for the setup of recycling ventures. The Ministry has partnered with the other relevant ministries in promoting this zone and attracting investment groups into these future recycling hubs for the country.

We see a positive improvement from last two years

Numerical data if any:
While there were a few organisations that volunteered just prior to the second outbreak of COVID 2 months ago. One organization signed up for the zero- waste initiative just before the second outbreak in Fiji.

The Ministry has also provided support to 2 other interested parties to set up shop within the recycling facility at the Naboro Landfill Tax free Zone.

National level:

Awareness raising using various media platforms such TV commercials, pamphlets, radio, social media has been ongoing.

Brief description:
Talk back shows on radios are done in vernacular languages to create the awareness and learnings around various environmental issues such as Littering, developments and plastics.

Local level:

Local Municipal Councils assist in creating awareness through clean schools program.

Brief description:
Local Municipal Councils organize the programs for respective schools to promote self-compliance towards anti-litter behaviour in Fiji; reduce litter through effective implementation of campaigns, readiness programs, and volunteer activities; and effective enforcement of the Litter Act 2008 and where applicable other relevant legislations.

International / Regional level:

Fiji is calling for a legally binding instrument to address Marine Litter. Fiji also looks forward to financial resources to expand its Trash net in larger number of rivers as these waste ends in the marine environment.

We see a positive improvement from last two years

Comments:
Positive feedback received from the communities and gives an opportunity for the public to clarify their issues around the Environment Management Act 2005.

Numerical data if any:
An average of 3 talkback shows every 6 months.

Local level:

We see a positive improvement from last two years

Numerical data if any:
The Ministry of Environment participated in the Suva City Councils clean schools program in 2019 whereby all the schools within the Suva City Council boundary were assessed. This included all secondary and Primary schools.

International / Regional level:

We do not see any particular trend

Research in this area has been ongoing with few academics publishing their results.

Brief description:
The Ministry of Environment is working with the Regional partners such as SPREP and NGOs (Local and International) to address waste management related issues. The Ministry has been working with JICA has been implementing many programs with JICA.

The Ministry established its thought leadership through putting together a waste management Think-tank for Fiji. The group consisted of individuals and organisations from research, academia, private sector, NGO/CSO and other government agencies.