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Fiji Day 2024 – Time to End Gimmicks and Embrace Real Sustainability

Fiji Day 2024 – Time to End Gimmicks and Embrace Real Sustainability

9 Oct 2024: As Fiji commemorates another year of independence this Fiji Day, Pacific Recycling Foundation is issuing a strong call to action: it is time to stop paying lip service to sustainability and start addressing the growing waste management crisis with genuine, practical solutions that prioritise sustainability and collaboration with those working on the ground.

Despite the increasing focus on sustainability across sectors, much of what is being done lacks substance. 

Fiji is facing a severe waste management challenge, but most actions taken so far are superficial and do not reflect a genuine commitment to solving the crisis. 

PRF Founder, Amitesh Deo, emphasised that any business model dealing with waste must adhere to sustainability principles and actively engage with communities, especially grassroots recyclers, who are already leading the charge. 

“If our approach to waste management does not keep sustainability and a commitment to dialogue with locals working on the ground at its core, then we should stop talking about it altogether,” Deo added.

PRF is calling on all Fijians – communities, businesses, and the government to confront the mounting waste management crisis with urgency, commitment, and integrity. 

Fiji is at a tipping point. Despite countless declarations of sustainability, our waste management challenges are growing, and the actions being taken to address them often amount to mere gimmicks, rather than concrete, lasting change.

As an organisation rooted in grassroots recycling, PRF is calling for an immediate shift from symbolic gestures to meaningful action that truly addresses the crisis we face.

Deo emphasised that the time for hollow promises is over. 

“We are seeing far too many instances where sustainability is being used as a buzzword to mask practices that are anything but sustainable. The urgency of Fiji’s waste crisis requires real solutions – recycling, waste reduction, and accountability and not greenwashing or gimmicks,” said Deo.

Deo pointed out that PRF, through its work with the Collection Pillars of Recycling (CPR) – individuals who collect and sort recyclables in often harsh conditions is at the frontlines of Fiji’s recycling efforts. 

“The CPR community works tirelessly to recover materials from our dumpsites, and public spaces. These are the real advocates of sustainability, yet they remain unsupported while others engage in surface-level activities that do little to address the real problems,” said Deo.

Deo said PRF’s message to the government, corporate sector, and the public this Fiji Day is clear: end the superficial actions. Reevaluate how sustainability is being approached. Listen to and engage with organisations that are deeply invested in genuine environmental solutions, such as PRF, which has decades of experience in sustainable waste management and recycling.

“We need to move beyond talk. The solutions are right in front of us, but the commitment is lacking. We need concrete steps to support recycling and recognise the critical role that grassroots recyclers play in this system. This requires collective responsibility and a willingness to act before it’s too late,” stressed Deo.

PRF is urging businesses, municipal councils, and the government to stop greenwashing as sustainability should not be about marketing campaigns or corporate box-ticking exercises. 

It should be about supporting real recycling initiatives and holding industries accountable for their environmental impact.

Deo added instead of waste disposal being driven by profit or convenience, there must be a nationwide shift toward recovering recyclable materials, and properly managing what remains.

The PRF Founder further highlighted those grassroots organisations like PRF, which have dedicated decades to understanding the complexities of waste management in Fiji, must be consulted for decision-making processes. 

“Too often, policies are implemented without consulting those who are truly equipped to guide sustainable practices,” added Deo.

As Fiji celebrates its independence, the nation stands on the cusp of a pivotal moment in its environmental journey.

PRF is calling on everyone to move from words to action – to stop pretending to care about sustainability and start engaging in the tough, necessary work to achieve it.

“This Fiji Day, let us make a real commitment to our future. Let us embrace sustainability as more than a buzzword and empower those who are making a difference, so that Fiji can continue to thrive cleaner, greener, and more resilient for generations to come,” said Deo.