[Photo: Supplied]

The French Embassy in Fiji is taking a proactive stance on waste management by spearheading efforts to promote the plastic treaty.

The treaty aims to address high-risk plastic products by banning, phasing out, phasing down, circulating, and managing them, not only in Fiji but also throughout the Pacific region.

According to the French Ambassador for the Pacific, Veronique Lacan, the treaty represents a significant financial commitment to improving waste management not only in Fiji but also across the Pacific region.

The Pacific Ambassador emphasizes that addressing waste management requires a shared responsibility.

“We know that the waste, unfortunately, travels around the oceans because oceans have no borders, and you cannot say, oh, this is not my waste. This is the waste of the other one. So there is a joint obligation and commitment to disperse, manage those wastes, and not use plastic material anymore.”

Lacan reiterates the French government’s commitment to Fiji’s waste management system.

The French ambassador to Fiji, François-Xavier Léger, voiced hope over the plastic treaty’s impact on the nation’s waste management initiatives.

“The purpose of it is to ban disposable plastic utilization. And here, in terms of waste management, there is a big issue here in Fiji, obviously, as everybody knows it.”

The French Embassy’s advocacy for the plastic treaty highlights the government’s commitment to supporting sustainable waste management practices in Fiji and the Pacific.