Hi Everyone ? I am excited to participate in the PacWastePlus and GEF ISLANDS Study Tour to learn more about these Sustainable Financing systems. Here in Tonga, we are currently seeking opportunities and planning to implement systems that is sustainable to resolving waste issues, especially with tacking single used plastic waste and implementing recycling etc. Waste Authority Limited introduced it’s first recycling service in April 2022 to the public. We have incorporated this new service to our normal waste collection network. The public can now sort their plastic bottles and glass bottles from home and WAL collects them and processed with recycling machines (through donor funded projects) at the landfill. While there’s so many other types of waste that can be recycled, our capacity now only allows us to start with the plastic and glass bottles. We’re hoping to get more support to expand recycling to the outer islands and be able to process all recyclable waste locally to create other products and save our landfills. Bulky waste and abandoned vehicles are also a major issue in Tonga. This tour will be an awesome experience to learn more from regulators and experts in Australia on how they’re taking the lead in implementing these sustainable financial systems in waste management. Most importantly to learn how we can implement a system that better suits Tonga. The things I am most looking forward to learn are Container Deposit Scheme, Circular Economy, E-waste and Organics. All these are very relevant to resolving current waste issues in Tonga. I plan to take home what I will learn and experience during this tour and help implement work plans that will contribute to resolving waste management issues in Tonga.

I am Mura Herman and I am excited to participate in the PacWastePlus and GEF ISLANDS Study Tour to learn more about these systems. Here in the Cook Islands we are currently implementing / planning to implement the following PacWaste and GEF ISLANDS projects targeting ARDF and our Outer Island (PA Enua) waste removal of e-waste and hopefully bulky waste in the coming projects.
The things I am most looking forward to learn are how Australia is leading the way around sustainable financing around ADF and how this has been received by the commmunity and how return container scheme is rolled out so its not project reliant. I hope to learn from the site visits and experts from all over the Pacific, being in involved here in Cook Islands on waste I hope to see some practical and innovative systems that we may translate to our shores. Looking forward to everything we will be exposed to and hope to return back with my colleague to empower what we are starting to ensure our Nations goal of zero waste.

Welcome to our Sustainable Finance Study Tour Delegates!

Please do post a few paragraphs on what your country is doing, or planning to do with sustainable financing, and please also tell us what you are hoping to learn on the Study tour!

Australia commits to plastic-free Pacific

Australia renewed its commitment and support for the work to address waste and marine pollution in the Pacific by:

- Joining the New Plastic Economy Global Commitment by the end of 2022
- Investing $16 million to support the Pacific Regional Marine Litter Action Plan
- Providing support to strengthen chemical and waste management through the Cleaner Pacific 2025 Strategy
- Upgrading recycling infrastructure and boosting circular economy

Let's hope this commitments will be followed by clear implementation plans