The "Litter Free Fiji" Think Tank has been urged to come up with a policy that will help people change their behavior towards waste generation. [File Photo]

The “Litter Free Fiji” Think Tank has been urged to come up with a policy that will help people change their behavior towards waste generation.

Minister for Environment, Dr Mahendra Reddy says a large proportion of the population think littering doesn’t bother them unless it’s their compound of locality.

Dr Reddy says the amount of litter that gets clogged up in the waterways is a daily concern for his Ministry

He says this does not only affect the household, service and the agriculture sectors, but also threatens the infrastructure and communities living along the waterways.

Dr Reddy says a survey has shown that waste from the Qawa River in Labasa has ended up on nearby islands.

He urged the ‘Think Tank’ to make a link between the pain and suffering of the distant community to those who are littering.

“It is not that people are not aware of it, but people are not seriously taking the impact of littering on distant communities because they are not able to see it and feel it themselves the impact of their negative actions.”

The Minister says it’s important to educate people on the fundamentals of reducing the generation of material that is not utilized.