Pacific Recycling Foundation Founder Amitesh Deo says despite their efforts in preventing recyclables from ending up in the landfill and advocating sustainable practices within communities, the path to mainstream recycling has been fraught with challenges, including a lack of political will and inadequate support from development partners.
While speaking during the Forum on Mitigating Plastic Pollution from Runoff, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme in Bangkok, Thailand, Deo highlighted the critical role played by small grassroots organisations in tackling plastic waste and fostering sustainable waste management practices, emphasising that these groups often bring local insights and community-driven solutions that are invaluable to broader environmental goals.
He also spoke about the informal collectors of recyclables in Fiji, known as the Collection Pillars of Recycling, noting that these individuals are essential to the recycling ecosystem yet are frequently overlooked in mainstream discussions on waste management.
Deo emphasised that the formation of PRF in 2022 was a direct response to these challenges.
He says they are a rights-based organisation committed to bringing the recycling and waste management crisis to the forefront of discussions in Fiji and the Pacific.
The Founder says their mission is to elevate the voices of the CPR communities and ensure they are not merely tokens in decision-making processes.
Deo says the urgency of their message cannot be overstated.
He says for too long, the voices of grassroots organisations have been dismissed and he is calling on governments, development partners, and industry leaders to not just hear them but to listen actively to what they have to say.
Deo says the future of our environment hinges on these conversations.
He adds nothing will ever be sustained unless the people and organisations working at the grassroots level are included, not as tokens but as equal implementing partners.
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