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PacWastePlus assisted Samoa to improve e-waste management throughout the country. This video provides a summary of the project activities.

The Commonwealth Youth Forum brought together young people from across the Commonwealth to discuss emerging issues impacting them including the plastic pollution crisis. We spoke to some young delegates to hear how the plastic pollution crisis is impacting their communities, their role in addressing the issue and the kind of future they would like to see. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) brings together delegations from 56 nations from Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. Samoa is hosting the meeting this week, the first time it's held in the Pacific Islands. SPREP through the Australian Government-funded, Pacific Ocean Litter Project #POLP is working together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa to support the Greening of #CHOGM2024 activities.

As part of the Greening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) initiative, young people have been actively involved in waste audits, and monitoring waste collected across CHOGM venues. This provides insights into the source, types and quantities of waste generated during CHOGM to help plan for effective waste management strategies for the future. SPREP through the Australian Government funded, Pacific Ocean Litter Project #POLP is working together with Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa (MNRE) to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting #CHOGM, currently underway in Samoa. This includes raising public education and awareness of plastic pollution and the single-use plastic issue in Samoa as well as provisions of waste and skip bins for proper waste segregation, collection and transportation for proper waste management including waste audits and monitoring.

Marine litter negatively affects the environment people and coastal economies around the world. In the Pacific region the problem is even more serious as countries depends on healthy and sustainable marine ecosystems. To promote a Cleaner Pacific, SPREP actively participated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023 for the third year through Agence francaise de deceloppement funded SWAP Project in collaboration with the Australian funded POLP project as well as the ISLANDS Pacific Ocean and Plastic Tide Turners projects.

In celebration of International Coastal Clean-Up Day (ICCD) 2023, the Moata’a Village Community and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), joined through Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) Project, unite in efforts to clean Taumeasina's marine litter. This harmonious effort represents our unwavering dedication to safeguarding our coastal treasures and eradicating plastic pollution from our marine ecosystems. Each year, SWAP Project, in conjunction with local communities, undertakes marine litter clean-ups, waste audits, and surveys. We invite you to watch this video and become inspired to join this movement in the quest for cleaner, healthier oceans. Together, we can make a significant impact.

Marine pollution is the result of harmful chemicals entering the ocean, polluted waste waters industrial, agricultural and residential waste, garbage from ships and the spread of invasive organisms. A major source of marine pollution is related to plastics intentionally thrown from shore or boats or are unintentionally carried by winds or streams.

Used oil is defined as petroleum-based or synthetic oil or fluid that through contamination had become suitable for its original purpose due to the presence of impurities or loss of original properties

Every year, the amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems is estimated between 9-14 million ton and this projection could nearly triple to 23-37 million tons per year by 2040.

Poor management of used oil is a major environment concern for Pacific Island nations. Samoan data (2018-2021) indicates that an average of 740,00 Lts of lubricants are imported into the country annually.

For the Pacific island countries, proper recycling of the increasing amount of waste plastics and waste oil is a pressing concern.