PacWastePlus Programmes and Activities introduced in SI

The Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology hosted a national consultation on PacWastePlus Programme Activities in Solomon Islands. The Pacific-EU Waste Management Programme (PacWastePlus) is a EUR 16.5 million, 72-month project funded by the European Union and implemented by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Solomon Islands is one of the 15 countries that the programme is working with.

The main objective of the consultation was to raise awareness amongst stakeholders on technical assistance available from PacWastePlus programme that can assist Solomon Islands address both the cost effective and sustainable management of waste and pollution.

Additionally, the consultation discussed the outcome of the Feasibility Study on the introduction of a Sustainable Financing system in Solomon Islands. The study was funded by the PacWastePlus programme and was completed in the fourth quarter of 2022. Sustainable financing systems provides a solution for long-term management of low-value recyclable materials by providing financial security for the recovery, dismantling, sorting, packing and shipment of materials to recovery and recycling markets. The system represents a funding mechanism designed to facilitate the recycling or recovery of waste.

As part of the PacWastePlus funded country project, the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology will be designing a sustainable financing system and introduce a legislation that will enable the implementation and enforcement of such system.

The country project will also design and implement an organic processing programme in Gizo that will collect and process all organic waste generated at the Gizo market. Additional support to Gizo includes the construction of an Organic Processing Facility that will receive and process the collected organic materials from the Gizo market, and a recycling facility to process and store recyclables collected in Gizo. In opening the consultation, the Deputy Secretary- Corporate for the Ministry, Mr. Karl Kuper urged all stakeholders and partners present to identify areas they can assist the Ministry with the implementation of the Country project.

Stakeholders present at the consultation included representatives from  Government and Local Government such as Honiara City Council, Ministry of Health & Medical Services, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Finance & Treasury; State Owned Enterprises such as Solomon Islands Ports Authority and the private sector including Design Technology Centre, BJS, PATSALE Pty Ltd, Solomon Energy & Logistics, Rax Boy, Zed Construction & Tongs Corporation.

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