Grassroots Recyclers Enter Pre-COP31 Conversation for the First Time

For years, Fiji’s grassroots recyclers have worked on the ground, collecting and recovering materials that would otherwise end up as waste.

Now, for the first time, their experiences will be brought directly into Fiji’s Pre-COP discussions.

The Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) and Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited (WRFL) will take the stories, realities and lessons from Fiji’s recycling sector to Pre-COP31 through a dedicated session titled “Grassroots Recyclers’ Journey: Peaks and Valleys.”

The session will highlight not only what recyclers collect, but what it takes to keep materials moving through Fiji’s recycling system – the opportunities, the setbacks and the people who continue doing the work.

PRF Founder Amitesh Deo said the conversation begins with something everyone can relate to.

“For most of us, once we throw something away, we stop thinking about it. For a recycler, that is often where the journey begins,” Mr Deo said.

“They see what we throw away every day. They know what can be recovered, what is being lost and what it takes to keep those materials in circulation.”

For PRF and WRFL, bringing this experience to Pre-COP31 is an opportunity to connect the everyday reality of waste with the wider conversations taking place around climate action and the circular economy.

Mr Deo said the sector’s experience should be understood not simply as a waste management issue, but as part of a much larger conversation about communities, livelihoods and resource use.

“When we talk about climate action and a circular economy, we cannot only talk about systems, policies and targets. We also have to talk about the people who are actually doing the work,” he said.

“The journey of a recyclable material does not end when we put it in a bin. Someone has to collect it, sort it, recover it and find a way to give it another life.”

The “Peaks and Valleys” session will deliberately present the recycling journey as it is – including its challenges.

PRF and WRFL will use the platform to share what has worked, where gaps remain and what grassroots recyclers experience as they work within Fiji’s evolving recycling and waste management landscape.

For the organisations, the message is simple: the circular economy is not only about where Fiji wants to go, but also about recognising the people already doing the work.

“Our recyclers are part of the story of Fiji’s circular economy,” Mr Deo said.

“If we want to understand where we need to go next, we also need to understand the journey they have already been on.”

The “Grassroots Recyclers’ Journey: Peaks and Valleys” session will be held on October 8 from 11:45am to 12:30pm at Convention 2, Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay, as part of the Pre-COP31 programme.