Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Fijians are expected to start earning money from their plastic waste next year through a new nationwide recycling initiative.
The Return and Earn Fiji program will allow people to return PET bottles and aluminum cans of any brand and receive five cents per container, helping to reduce litter and boost recycling efforts.
Return and Earn Fiji Representative Dwain Qalovaki says the community-driven, industry-funded system will make recycling easier and more rewarding.
“And this not-for-profit organization will be responsible for the collection of all of our beverage containers like our PET bottles as well as our aluminum cans to be able to collect them, send them to its processing facilities both in Viti Levu as well as in Vanua Levu and then to make sure that we can take those bottles and send them to a verified recycler abroad.”
The organization plans to set up at least 50 buy-back collection sites across the country, with full rollout expected by mid-next year.
Permanent Secretary for Environment Dr. Sivendra Michael says the government is finalizing container deposit regulations to support the initiative.
Return and Earn Fiji says the program will not only help clean up the environment but also empower communities to turn waste into income while promoting a culture of recycling nationwide.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
