Vanuatu Clean with zero plastic bags

Report as of 5^th February 2018

Background

On the 3^rd of January 2018 the Government approved new legislation that restricts the consumption of plastic bags, and plastic bottles. This government rules include “Ban the importation of single-use non-biodegradable take away boxes”. If this ‘green legislation’ is implemented, Vanuatu will probably become one of the few countries with very practical measures to protect the environment and wellbeing of communities.

But realistically and in practice, how will consumers transition from demanding ‘cheap & free’ and convenient plastic bags and take away food containers to green containers?; How prepared is the local economy to supply alternative products, locally made or imported?

2018 will be a great opportunity to re-value the traditional products and local “slow food”, creating opportunities to new local business, jobs and economic activities. Also for the development of appropriate technologies to produce substitutes of the “cheap & useful” plastic products, but extremely damaging for the Nature and Ocean.

Many active youth are actively engaged in community movements. Eg. ‘No plastic bag plis’ and other groups committed to raise awareness, maintain the environment with practical clean-up activities. The Vanuatu’s way of life is sensitive to Nature.

ACTIVITIES / COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS

With the involvement or support of Ministry of Youth and Sports (Mary Siro)

1. Clean up of the lagoon and land of Erakor Bridge Community
2. Clean up of Takabe River;
3. Test the plastic bottle recycling system. 99% of the bottles collected in Takabe river were rejected by the only company that publicizes recycling of plastic: Vanuatu Water Azure;Greenwashing Made in Vanuatu
4. Construction of garbage bins to separate waste (Erakor)
5. Stop burning of plastic (Erakor)
6. Participation in the environment week June 2017, at conference centre to show photos and raise awareness about the environment of the Emtem Lagoon;
7. Interviews and articles mentioned TV, radio and other national media;
8. Improve and transform a traditional canoe to capture plastic waste (Erakor);
9. Build a net to trap / capture plastic waste floating along the tidal movements (Erakor);
10. Building of walls with stones and tires to protect the margins from erosion (Erakor)
11. Planting of mangroves in the margins (Erakor);
12. Substitute the use of plastic rope by waiving fibres of dried coconut husks (Erakor);
13. Reuse of plastic containers as pots to be used to create a nursery to plant and grow local and ornamental plants (Erakor);
14. Production of videos for awareness about conservation of the Emtem lagoon (Erakor)
15. Cooperation and support of other communities: a general clean-up of the Takabe river
16. Formed a youth committee to take care of the environment, promote creative ideas able to create job and business opportunities for the communities within the “green economy” and seek stakeholders support.
17. Establishment of networks to support environmental projects (Ministry of Education, 6 yia clas 1 campaign, Vanuatu Institute of Technology, Department of Environment, Ifira community, Teoma community)
18. Launching of garbage bin (covered by Daily post with two articles);
19. Create a facebook page to document activities with photos and videos
20. Constitution of a technical team at VIT, with technical support of VATE industries general manager and Engineering University of Porto, Portugal, to design and build a machines to produce take away boxes and leaf plates

Purpose of a future plan / project

1. Convey simple messages to community and stakeholders to reduce plastic consumption, promote substitutes of plastic, where possible, using local resources, in order to improve the wellbeing of the present and future generations.
2. Create opportunities (training, awareness, jobs and businesses) for the Erakor and other communities in Vanuatu;
3. Contribute to promote better links between different active groups and government Departments, Central and Local Government Organizations
4. Better awareness of the Community in General regarding waste management challenges and environmental issues and threats, this may prepare community to accept the need to enforce and review legislation and regulations;

Outputs from future activities:

It is assumed that better community awareness and participation will reduce plastic bags consumption, reduce the consumption of disposable plastic products, increase the consumption of alternative local products, reduce plastic waste and improve its management. The youth involved in the plan / project implementation will not only be benefiting directly from awareness, but also from specific training that will improve skills and changes of employability or creation of small businesses.