Fiji Hub Achievement Report

July 2015
Objective: Education Enrichment

Improving Recycling Rates in Local Schools

Inspiring children to act on recycling through knowledge, practice and ownership

GVIs recycling project has been running in

Dawasamu District since March 2014. In that
time 10 recycling points have been constructed,
3 collections have been completed and in the
last collection alone 2184kg of plastic, glass and
paper waste were prevented from going to
landfill. Recycling is vital in the small rural
communities here where an increased use of
plastic and other man-made products has quickly
become a waste management issue as burn-pits
and landfills become overrun.
GVIs work in this area is timely as Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama recently made a plea to
Fijians to recycle following a record 75,000 tonnes sent to the islands main landfill this year. National
plans are in place to build a waste transfer station in the Central Division to separate recyclable waste
and Dawasamu District has a unique opportunity to lead the way for other rural communities in Fiji.
A vital aspect of any recycling programme is
education
and
GVI
have
delivered
presentations and workshops in villages and
schools throughout the district. GVIs recycling
point monitoring surveys highlighted a
particular issue in schools of rubbish being
unwashed or incorrectly sorted. As children
play a key role in recycling, being largely
responsible for household waste disposal, it is
necessary to nurture positive behaviours and
spark interest.

This month work in schools has focused on

renovating recycling points with students
invited to participate and leave their mark.
GVI invited children to Love your recycling
point as pride in these recycling stations is
the best way to ensure proper use and
maintenance. Level-appropriate, interactive
lessons on recycling and its impacts had
children singing, designing, painting,
chanting and building robots from tin cans.
By practicing good behaviours through a
physical recycling relay race children learnt
how to use their facility. Fun signage
included a lift-the-flap scene of a clean and messy village, a maze to depict decomposition times and
alliterative animal bins. Elements were added to improve accessibility such as increasing the structures
platform or coloured paths leading to coloured bins. Children were also invited to write a personal
message about recycling on old bottles which were then strung into a fence. At Dawasamu Primary
School this was followed by a grand opening ceremony so that teachers too could feel pride and
responsibility for their new recycling point.
These initial lessons will be
followed next term by a full course
on waste management tying in with
the Fijian curriculum. GVI
volunteers will deliver lessons on
topics including: materials,
decomposition, reducing waste, reusing and upcycling items,
recycling, monitoring waste locally,
national and global waste impacts,
and pollution of soil, air and water.

GVI will continue to monitor any improvements to washing and sorting recycling in schools as a result of
these initiatives. Dawasamu District schools have shown an impressive commitment to waste reduction
and recycling which should be known and celebrated throughout Fiji.