[Photo: SUPPLIED]

Plastic products that end up polluting Fiji’s streets, rivers and oceans could face stronger controls as the Government looks at ways to reduce unnecessary plastic entering the country.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is assessing options to regulate problematic and avoidable plastics, including products such as plastic straws, plates, cups, cutlery and confetti.

A stakeholder workshop held in Suva this week brought together government, industry and technical experts to discuss possible measures.

The Ministry says Fiji imports much of its plastic products, making it important to control pollution before it enters the country.

The workshop follows a Cabinet directive for the Ministry to assess existing plastic bags and provide recommendations.

However, no new bans have been approved, and the Ministry says the meeting was only an initial scoping exercise.

Technical work by the University of New South Wales reviewed 78 regulatory instruments across 35 jurisdictions and identified 41 plastic products for further assessment.

Options discussed include import restrictions, bans, levies and product standards.

Participants also raised concerns about the cost, safety and availability of alternatives, particularly for small businesses, households and maritime communities.

The Ministry says any proposed changes must be practical and affordable, with enough time for businesses to move towards more sustainable alternatives.

Further discussions with industry and private sector stakeholders will be held, alongside assessments of the economic and environmental impacts of possible regulations.

The aim is to reduce plastic pollution at its source, rather than relying only on cleaning up waste after it has already reached the environment.