Waste management in Fiji has advanced with the commissioning of the country’s first pyrolysis processing plant in Wainadoi by Golden Manufacturers, a $10 million project that converts plastic and tyre waste into fuel oil.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Sustainability Project Manager, Lucien Hall says the initiative was born out of a desire to find a more environmentally sustainable alternative to landfill disposal.
He says once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ around 10 people and play a key role in tackling Fiji’s growing plastic and tyre waste problem.
Hall says the new facility can process 10 tonnes each of plastics and tyres daily to produce fuel oil that can serve as a replacement for diesel in industrial burners, provides liquid fuel for furnaces and boilers, and powers electricity generators.
He adds that the facility will also use carbon black, which is a by-product of tyre and plastic pyrolysis, along with waste sawdust and paper, to produce compressed briquettes (blocks) that can be used as an alternative to firewood and other solid fuels.
Hall says the site is just over two kilometres from the Naboro Landfill, allowing waste to be easily diverted from landfill disposal to recycling.
He adds that full operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, once the facility is connected to the national power grid.
Hall says currently, operations are being powered by a generator, but the team is working closely with Energy Fiji Limited to complete the installation of a transformer and AVR system to provide high-voltage electricity to the site.
He highlighted that this is the first facility of its kind in Fiji, so the technology is completely new, and finding the right mechanical and electrical tradespeople has been difficult.
The Project Manager emphasises the broader environmental benefits of the project, highlighting its potential to reduce pollution and support Fiji’s tourism sector.
He is urging both businesses and communities to take responsibility for waste management.
He says they are providing the technology and the facility, but it is also up to citizens and companies to do the right thing, which is to recognise that dumping tyre and plastic waste into the environment or sending it to landfill is not acceptable.
The Wainadoi pyrolysis plant represents a major step towards a cleaner and more sustainable Fiji.
