Lautoka launches 'I Recycle' program at Churchill Park

In a bid to address the country’s waste management crisis, various sectors came together to celebrate Global Recycling Day by launching the “I Recycle” program at Churchill Park in Lautoka.

The Pacific Recycling Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Tourism Fiji, Lautoka City Council, and other shareholders united for this momentous event.

The theme for this year’s Global Recycling Day was “Breaking Barriers, a revolutionary blueprint to deal with the waste management crisis”.

While officiating at the launch, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says recycling is no longer an option — it is a necessity and communities, businesses, and policymakers must work together to empower those individuals and organisations who are at the front line of waste management.

He says the launch of this initiative makes Churchill Park the first sports facility in Fiji and the region to implement a comprehensive sustainable waste management program.

He says this achievement sets a benchmark for other sporting venues, public facilities, and business establishments across the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister says the government has been actively working on strengthening waste management laws to encourage responsible disposal and recycling practices.

He says community programs are being implemented to educate people about the importance of waste segregation and sustainable living.

The Deputy Prime Minister also signed a declaration endorsing PRF’s Blueprint to tackle the waste management crisis, which outlines a strategic approach focused on advocacy, a collective approach, empowerment of the Collection Pillars of Recycling, the Look Beyond Movement, ethical alignment, a regional perspective, and an academic approach for evidence-based solutions.

PRF Founder Amitesh Deo says this blueprint is based on the experiences of grassroots organisations that have dedicated their lives to recycling, yet whose voices, until recently, were not heard in discussions on climate change or the waste management crisis.

He says grassroots organisations in the recycling sector are often regarded as primitive and unsophisticated despite their many years of experience in waste management.

He says the launch of the “I Recycle” program is a powerful example of what can be achieved when government, the private sector, development partners, and grassroots organisations work together.