PRF & WRFL staff picked up urine-filled bottles during the clean-up of Koronivia Road

Massive amounts of recyclables and general waste including urine-filled bottles were removed from just a few sections of the Koronivia Road and adjacent drains by the Pacific Recycling Foundation and Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited teams during a clean-up exercise this week.

A total of 221.5kg of unsorted recyclables consisting of 15.5kg of PET bottles, 68kg of various types of plastic, and 138kg of general waste were collected by the PRF and WRFL teams in just the span of two hours.

PRF’s Founder and CEO of Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited, Mr. Amitesh Deo said they were shocked to see that people had dumped bags full of diapers, plastic, and glass bottles, wrappers, takeaway boxes, tin and aluminum cans, and sacks full of mussel shells.

He said his team was horrified to find some urine-filled bottles on the roadside and drains.

“This is gross and a violation of our rights to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment,” said Mr. Deo.

While raising serious concerns, he said they are astounded and disturbed by the behaviour of some members of the public who are treating the environment like their toilet or dumpsite.

“This behaviour only goes to confirm a great loss of civic pride and a no-care attitude towards the environment. Maybe we have to start discussing the need to have more public washroom facilities, especially for the travelling public who are stuck in traffic for a long time,” highlighted the PRF Founder.

He said they are well aware that many other roads, drains, and communities are being treated like dumpsites.

According to the PRF Founder, improper disposal of waste materials particularly plastic waste is also one of the main reasons for flash flooding during heavy downpours in Koronivia, which causes unnecessary inconvenience as well as damage to the infrastructure.

“Going forward, we will be working closely with businesses and community members in Koronivia as well as relevant authorities to ensure we put in a concerted effort to bring an end to the practices that are hurting our environment,” stated Mr. Deo.