Majority of Municipal Councils Endorse PRF’s VAKA Forum Outcomes, Set to Develop Holistic Recycling Strategies with PRF
Following the successful VAKA Forum with Municipal Councils earlier this month, Pacific Recycling Foundation has confirmed that a majority of municipal councils across the country have endorsed the forum outcomes and will now work closely with PRF to develop holistic, measurable, and evidence-based recycling strategies for their municipalities, with implementation set to begin as early as 2026.
This signals a major breakthrough for Fiji’s waste management landscape, marking the first time that municipal councils have collectively aligned with a grassroots recycling organisation to pursue long-term and systemic solutions, directly responding to the waste management crisis.
PRF Founder, Amitesh Deo, said municipal councils that have already confirmed their endorsement include Nausori, Suva, Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua, Rakiraki, Labasa, Savusavu, and Levuka, with further confirmations expected.
He said their alignment with PRF signals a shift away from piecemeal approaches and toward holistic systems that focus on diversion of recyclables from the Naboro landfill and dumpsites, which, going forward, is expected to reduce the significant cost burdens currently shouldered by councils for transporting and dumping waste, while also significantly reducing the environmental impact caused by landfilling.
Forum Outcomes Endorsed by the Municipal Councils:
1. Strategic Approach
Each of the thirteen municipal councils will work collaboratively with the Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) over the next six months to develop their recycling strategies. These strategies will encompass:
- Activity planning
- Resource mobilisation plan
- Shared values and principles that align with PRF’s community-centered approach to sustainable waste management.
2. Continuous Collaboration
Continuous discussions will take place between the respective municipal councils and Pacific Recycling Foundation to implement, assess progress, and share updates for possible recycling solutions.
3. Monitoring and Review
Pacific Recycling Foundation will incorporate, where needed, an independent academic lens to ensure science and evidence-based analysis of the implementation output of the recycling solutions with the respective municipal councils.
4. Annual Municipal Council Recycling Forum
A forum will be organised every six months for Municipal Councils and the Pacific Recycling Foundation to strengthen collaboration, review progress, identify and address gaps, and enhance local recycling solutions.
Deo said these outcomes are strategically designed to deliver measurable and practical results.
Over the next six months, PRF will work closely with each municipal council to develop fully implementable strategies, including specific activities for rollout at the local level and a Resource Mobilisation Plan that clearly identifies funding sources for each activity. This ensures that all initiatives are practical, achievable, and resourced, rather than plans that may never materialise.
Through this approach, councils will be able to implement changes that are measurable, accountable, and directly impactful, providing clear progress indicators for diversion of recyclables from the landfill and dumpsites, cost diversion and savings, and environmental benefits.
Regular six-monthly forums and continuous collaboration will further monitor progress, identify gaps, and refine strategies, keeping the momentum strong and outcomes tangible.
Deo said the councils’ support reflects a major shift away from traditional waste management models that rely heavily on landfilling and dumping. He stated that this partnership will not only focus on the collection of a few recyclables but will involve a wider infrastructure-based approach, including training, implementation of recycling systems, diversion of more recyclables away from landfills, monitoring of data, lessons learned, and academic validation of implementation outcomes.
The Minister for Housing and Local Government, Honourable Maciu Nalumisa, commended the initiative and emphasised the need for alignment between councils and grassroots recycling organisations.
“I call on all the municipal councils to align your waste management plans and visions with grassroots recycling organisations, ensuring measurable and practical implementation strategies that bring meaningful change, which will enable you to serve your municipality more effectively,” said Nalumisa.
PRF’s VAKA Forum Series will now expand to other key sectors, including the Tourism Sector, Collection Pillars of Recycling, Members of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries, Academic Partners, Brand Partners, Religious Organisations, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, and Civil Society Organisations, ensuring that Fiji moves forward with shared responsibility and a united commitment to systemic change.