Circular Economy Workshop: A Circular Approach to Waste Management in the Pacific - Creating Resources from Waste and Pollution

The Circular Approach to Waste Management is a sustainable model of production and consumption that emphasises sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. By extending product life cycles, this approach minimises waste and ensures that materials remain within the economy through recycling, thereby creating further value. 

This marks a significant departure from the traditional linear economic model of production, consumption, and disposal—often summarised as take-make-consume-throw away. The linear model depends on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy, leading to excessive resource use and environmental degradation.

The Pacific is at a critical crossroads in its efforts to manage waste sustainably. With increasing waste generation, and a growing urgency to protect the environment, it is crucial to move beyond linear waste management models. These models have led to rising environmental, economic, and social challenges across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

In response to these challenges, and to explore sustainable solutions, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP1 ), through initiatives such as the Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP2 ) Project – AFD, PacWastePlus Programme – EU, PacPlan – Australia, ISLANDS – GEF and PAWES Programme, in collaboration with the J-PRISM III (JICA) Project and the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC6 ), Vanuatu, hosted a Regional Workshop on Circular Approach to Waste Management in the Pacific.