A student-lead project aimed at changing mindset and attitude towards recycling where 24 student ambassadors will advocate best practices of recycling within the school system and eventually outside the school system as well, will be launched this Friday.
The Recycling on the Go program, which is Waste Recyclers Fiji Ltd’s initiative in partnership with Swire Shipping and Jai Narayan College, is a 1-year long recycling program.
Waste Recyclers Director and CEO, Amitesh Deo says the ambassadors are 24 selected students from Jai Narayan College who will go through an in-house training on recycling which includes the industry challenges, trade gimmicks and the struggles of the informal waste pickers.
He says the ROG Program itself is a robust recycling program that includes using effective methods to ensure better understanding of recycling and increase participation rates and the program includes a monitoring, evaluation and feedback component aimed at providing regular feedbacks to the school and the recycling ambassadors.
Deo further says the ambassadors also will be part of a somewhat longitudinal study as they believe these they can influence a lot of change in behavior towards recycling and also become recycling advocates as they transit into university life and then work career.
He also says to ensure sustainability of the concept, the ambassadors will be the owners of the program and they will take the lead role in guiding the program forward.
The program also includes custom designed “I Recycle” bins which will also be officially unveiled during the Global Recycling Day event.
Global Recycling Day will be celebrated this Friday and will be dedicated as a special tribute to the informal waste picker community in Fiji and the Pacific region.
