PERMANENT Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Dr Melchior Mataki says waste management in Solomon Islands really needs a lot of improvements.
Mataki highlighted this during the recent Commonwealth Marine Litter Programme (CLiP) workshop in Honiara.
He said waste management needs improvement and it needs everybody’s support as well, the national and provincial government, local authorities, non-government organisations and individuals.
“As we all know, everybody produces wastes but we can do whatever we can even in our little space to curb the issue of waste influence in the environment and in to the marine environment,” he said.
Mataki highlighted about 50% of all the wastes that people normally generates in their homes are actually organic wastes and they can be re-used as mulch, composed them and put them into good use.
However, he said all of these wastes are actually put into the waste bins and collected and dumps them together with other types of wastes.
“Now the fact that we actually put those organic wastes that should really be managed at the household or family level for that matter is also contributing to making the task of responsible authorities like Honiara City Council (HCC) to be challenging as well.
“So we really need to take some actions at the individual level or the household level in order to address this waste issue.
“As I have said, everybody produces wastes and therefore as soon as it is produced it also comes with responsibility to dealt with it,” he added.
Mataki said some of the wastes like the organic should have been dealt with at the household level.
He said the CLiP project is also in line with the intention of the Ministry’s National Wastes Management Strategy.
He added whatever action plan or guidelines drawn out from the workshop is more important as it paves the way for more collaboration especially in the particular area of waste management.
Mataki then thanked the CLiP program and assured that the Ministry will work together with other partners to ensure any whatever action plan set out must be carried out accordingly.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
