We do not engage incentivising children to clean up waste at public events - Bulitavu

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change clarifies that it does not and will never engage in incentivising children to clean up waste at public events.

In response to the statement made by the Founder of the Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF), Amitesh Deo, on Sunday, Minister Mosese Bulitavu expressed disappointment over Deo’s statements, particularly in relation to students being incentivised with event tickets in exchange for collecting waste.

Bulitavu says such statements are not only unfounded but also disrespectful to the many young people who participate voluntarily out of genuine civic pride and environmental stewardship.

Bulitavu says the participation of students from the University of the South Pacific, the University of Fiji, and several other schools over the last few months has always been voluntary.

He says, for instance, the recent cleanup of My Suva Park by Queen Victoria School (QVS) athletes was requested by the QVS school management.

The Minister adds in fact, some of these very students were trained under PRF’s flagship ‘Recycle on the Go’ Ambassadorial Programme.

Bulitavu says we should be proud that these nurtured young leaders are stepping up and mobilising change, and the clear distinction between exploitation and empowerment.

He says PRF, as a recognised partner of the Ministry, should align itself with the principles and planned outputs of Fiji’s two-year National Anti-Litter Campaign.

He adds the Foundation must also learn to acknowledge the diversity of partners engaged across sectors and communities to tackle the waste crisis Fiji faces.

On the broader issue, the Minister welcomed the constructive criticism on innovative waste management solutions, however, he indicated that these must be grounded in facts.

Bulitavu says PRF’s vision may not align with everyone, but it does with theirs.

However, Bulitavu says mischaracterising Government efforts as cosmetic or media-driven undermines the countless hours of work done by his officers, communities, and partners on the ground.

He says their efforts across a range of issues deserve the rightful attention to address these issues collectively.

The Minister says not everyone has a communications strategy, and they will continue to praise and acknowledge our community heroes, including our children who step up to show the irresponsible adults what needs to be done.

He further says we talk about change from home to classrooms, and if someone is not part of the solution, then it is best that they do not comment on it.

Bulitavu reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a tiered, long-term strategy for waste management reform, which includes legislative review with a focus on single-use plastics, the development of Container Deposit Regulations (CDRs), infrastructure developments such as the Western Landfill and dump rehabilitation with the Ministry of Local Government, as well as the targeted behaviour change programmes through education, clean school programmes, and mass media campaigns.

He adds that short-term visibility initiatives like clean ups are not a solution in isolation, but they play a vital role in transforming our waste management systems into robust, sustainable, and inclusive frameworks that address both the symptoms and root causes of pollution.

The Minister says these efforts must not be labelled as ineffective just because they are visible and rejects any notion that visibility equates to tokenism.

Bulitavu adds that these public actions, when paired with system-wide reforms will bring about the systematic shifts we all envisage to see, and that is our goal.

He also urged PRF to fully familiarise itself with the National Anti-Litter Campaign and to approach collaboration in good faith because their work is accountable, strategic, and community-led—not reactive or misguided.

He also adds that the Ministry has been working with a range of partners, such as the Pacific Ocean Litter Youth Project-POLYP, the Fiji Sports Council and the beverage companies to recover recyclables and transport others to the landfill.

Bulitavu says the Ministry recognises the tireless efforts of PRF and other partners like Trashboom Pacific, BioEnergy Insight Pacific, POLYP and our collection pillars of recyclers.

He says as we move forward, they urge PRF and other stakeholders to engage as a collaborative partner and focus their collective energy on accountability, structure, and innovation.

He adds that the multidimensional nature of the waste crisis calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach, so let us continue to work together for the good of our environment and our people.

While responding to Bulitavu’s statement PRF Founder Amitesh Deo welcomes the Minister’s call for collaboration and affirmed PRF’s full commitment to contributing constructively to national efforts.

He says that while this is a welcome gesture, PRF also feels it is necessary to clarify that its initial statement was not, at any point, directed toward any government ministry, including the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, or any government official.

Deo says the issues raised in PRF’s press statement regarding the use of school students to clean up waste after public events, particularly sporting events, were observations about general practices by some partners that have been occurring for some time. He says these concerns were also raised with PRF by other advocates as well, however, these were never accusations directed at the Ministry or its programs.

The PRF Founder says they would like to make it unequivocally clear that their concern is not with students participating in awareness and advocacy efforts; in fact, they actively support youth leadership in environmental action.

He adds what they have called out is the growing and problematic culture where students are brought in to clean up after adults at public events, especially sports gatherings after the adults have irresponsibly littered.

Deo says this is not only disrespectful to young people but also contradicts the very values of dignity that we are trying to advocate for them.

He says PRF did not mention or implicate the Ministry in any part of its press statement.

He also says their call was simply for adults to clean up after themselves and for students to be involved in meaningful advocacy and not used as cleanup crews.

Deo adds that PRF did not reference or single out any specific cleanup activity in its press release.

As stated in PRF’s initial press statement, Deo said they acknowledge and continue to value their working relationship with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and are grateful for the collaborative efforts led by Bulitavu, Permanent Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael, and the Ministry’s team.

He says they also recognise and appreciate the political will demonstrated by key leaders, including the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, the Deputy Prime Ministers, Manoa Kamikamica and Viliame Gavoka, Minister for Local Government, Maciu Nalumisa, Minister for Education, Hon. Aseri Radrodro, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lenora Qereqeretabua, and Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Seema Sharma.

He further says these individuals have been instrumental in supporting grassroots recycling efforts and ensuring inclusivity in Fiji’s waste management approach.

He adds they also respectfully clarify that the reference to a ‘senior environmental official’ in PRF’s statement was not referring to an official within the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Dep says they believe the interpretation that this was directed at the Ministry was a misunderstanding.

Deo says PRF also wants to take this opportunity to clarify that its press statement did not label any Government effort as cosmetic, and that phrase does not appear anywhere in PRF’s statement.

He further says they consider the notion of mischaracterisation to be a misquote or misinterpretation, and PRF has always supported structured, sustainable, and systemic reforms and continues to commend the Ministry’s multi-layered strategy, including Fiji’s two-year National Anti-Litter Campaign, efforts on single-use plastics, and the development of Container Deposit Regulations.

The PRF Founder says PRF is proud of its continued collaboration with the Ministry, including the recent historical engagement in Sydney with ANZPAC and the University of New South Wales, where Bulitavu and Dr Michael were both invited and present to show the Government of Fiji’s support for this important milestone.

Deo reiterated that PRF also welcomes Bulitavu’s remarks, especially where he acknowledged PRF’s constructive criticism of innovative waste management solutions.

He says as they have always maintained, progress in the waste management space will require accountability, structure, long-term investment, and a united, multi-stakeholder approach.

He further says PRF looks forward to continuing this important work, shoulder to shoulder with the Government, communities, and partners alike.