Fiji’s container recycling programme is continuing to gain momentum, with thousands of people turning discarded bottles and cans into extra income while helping keep communities clean.

More than 7.5 million beverage containers have been collected through the Return & Earn Fiji initiative during the first six months of this year, with over $687,000 paid back to the public and collection partners.

The programme has also seen growing participation from families, youth groups, churches, schools and businesses, as more people recognise the value of recycling.

Return & Earn Fiji Representative Dwain Qalovaki highlighted that the programme is already delivering visible environmental benefits.

“What this means is that as we continue to grow into a full national system, that we will start to see more of the beverage plastic bottles and aluminium cans disappear from our sidewalks as we’re walking and driving by”

“We’ll start to see it disappear from our rivers and our ocean. We’ll start to see it disappear from the landfill because there’s a value to this material and that people are starting to participate in numbers” Qalovaki highlighted.

The initiative is expected to expand further, with more collection centres planned across the country as organisers work towards making beverage container recycling available nationwide.

He said more people are now collecting bottles and cans as communities continue to embrace the initiative.

“First thing in the morning at five o’clock or six o’clock we’ll see a lot of people that are combing along the streets, not just in Suva but in Nadi, in Sigatoka, in Lautoka, in Ba”.

“We’re seeing all around the eight municipalities that are already active with Return and Earn that people are already collecting their bottles and cans” he said.

BY: JOELI RAGONELIWA