Residents of Nasinu and nearby communities can now return plastic bottles and aluminium cans of any brand and receive five cents per container at Laqere Market following the launch of the latest Return & Earn Fiji centre in partnership with the Nasinu Town Council.
The centre will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 11am and from 2pm to 4pm. It will rotate across districts within Nasinu's municipal boundaries to make it easier for residents to participate and help keep beverage containers out of the waste stream.
Speaking at the launch, Nasinu Town Council Special Administrator Felix Magnus says the initiative supports the council's focus on practical and integrated waste management.
He says Nasinu is growing rapidly, and this means the council must continue strengthening its integrated approach to waste management by reducing litter, improving the recovery of recyclables and supporting cleaner neighbourhoods across the municipality.
Magnus says the Return & Earn Centre is a practical step that helps residents play their part while strengthening the systems needed for a cleaner and healthier Nasinu.
Return & Earn Fiji representative Dwain Qalovaki says Nasinu is a key part of the programme's national deployment strategy to increase convenience for the public through a wide network of accessible return centres.
He says Nasinu is central to the organisation's goal of establishing at least 50 centres nationwide in densely populated areas, expanding opportunities for people to return their containers and receive rewards.
Qalovaki says the more convenient the system becomes, the more containers will be diverted from landfill and the environment, helping Fiji build a reliable, community-driven recycling culture on a larger scale.
Return & Earn Fiji is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers Fiji's nationally coordinated beverage container collection and recycling system in partnership with municipal councils. The programme is funded by eight Fijian beverage companies.
