Suva, 18 February 2025 – The Government of Japan and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed an exchange of notes for an ambitious project aimed at promoting circular economy and resource efficiency practices in the plastic value chain in Fiji to mitigate the impact of plastic pollution. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Sivendra Michael and the United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim, Andie Fong Toy.

Fiji’s economy is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of marine plastic pollution as it depends heavily on the marine environment, including tourism and fisheries. While Fiji has made a significant effort to address this issue, such as through introducing bans on single-use plastics and tax incentives for recycling, approximately 14,875 tons of plastic waste are still generated annually, with 24.7% leaking into the environment, according to estimates. To effectively tackle this problem, efforts need to be further strengthened through collaboration involving the public sector, private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities. 

The project aims to promote circular economy and resource efficiency practices by enhancing the policy and regulatory framework and capacity, as well as promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns of private sector actors across plastic value chains in Fiji. This will result in helping reduce plastic use, keep plastics in the economy and out of landfills and promote alternative products and services. The project aligns with national goals and priorities on solid waste management as detailed in the National Development Plan 2025-2029 and 2050 Vision of Fiji. 

This initiative is groundbreaking for Fiji, as it not only focuses on the downstream of the value chain - waste management where most previous interventions in Fiji have focused - but it also addresses the upstream and midstream such as production and consumption, and business models. By minimizing plastic waste generation at the source, this approach ensures a comprehensive response to the entire life cycle of plastics, ultimately contributing to the mitigation of plastic pollution.

Under this collaboration, UNIDO will leverage its global experience in industrial development to implement the project’s multifaceted approach with funding from the Government of Japan. 

At the signing ceremony, Rokuichiro Michii, Ambassador of Japan to Fiji stated that this will be a transformative project. A project that will contribute to Fiji’s green, inclusive and sustainable growth through the promotion of circular economy and resource efficiency practices for the private sector and to mitigate the impact of plastic pollution and climate change.

The project will encourage private sector players in the plastic value chains to promote reusable packaging, encouraging businesses to adopt circular business models, adaptive Japanese technologies and empowering consumers to make informed choices.  Essentially shifting our mindset from ownership to stewardship, recognizing the value of materials and the importance of minimizing waste.

Sivendra Michael emphasized the urgency of the initiative, saying that it is crucial to examine not only waste management solutions but also upstream interventions at the point of entry.

Commending the project’s focus on key areas such as plastics life cycle, sustainable production and consumption, circular economy models, and resource efficiency practices, he stressed the importance of addressing the importation of plastics, saying, “This is a key topic in the ongoing International Negotiating Committee (INC) discussions on the Global Plastics Treaty, which aims to establish the first-ever legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.”

Andie Fong Toy said, “This project, funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNIDO, will play a key role in creating an enabling environment for circular economy development in Fiji. It will support the Government in strengthening policies, developing strategies, and engaging the private sector, ensuring alignment with Fiji’s 20-Year National Development Plan.”

For more information, please contact:

Nahomi Nishio

Industrial Development Expert, UNIDO

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