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This study presents the first elements of an initiative on solid waste management, endorsed by France under the framework of reinforcing regional cooperation in the Pacific region and identified jointly by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The initiative will be based on the strategy adopted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and will be coordinated with existing or future projects in the region.

Lead-acid batteries are imported into PICs and are widely used in cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, tractors and a range of other mechanical equipment requiring power, including solar energy systems. Lead-acid batteries contain sulphuric acid and large amounts of lead. The acid is extremely corrosive and is also a good carrier for soluble lead and lead particulate. Lead is a highly toxic metal that produces a range of adverse health effects particularly in young children. Exposure to excessive levels of lead can cause brain damage; affect a child's growth; damage kidneys; impair hearing; and lead to numerous other associated problems. Refer section - Health and Environmental Impacts. Although the acid can be cleaned and reused, the lead is the valuable component in the battery to be recovered by Pacific Island Countries. The appropriate controls are often not taken by Pacific Island recyclers, thus putting themselves and their environment at risk of contamination.

Asbestos has a number of uses in building construction, mainly insulation. It can be found in lagging and fire retardant materials. All forms of asbestos are confirmed cancer causing materials, mostly affecting the respiratory system. Diseases caused by asbestos may not show for 10 to 50 years after exposure. The most dominant usage of asbestos in the Pacific, is in asbestos cement sheeting used for building materials, and to a much lesser extent, insulation around boilers and associated pipes. Asbestos release occurs when the material has been damaged or when buildings are being demolished. Asbestos disposal is mostly through uncontrolled dumping at illegal dumping sites across small Pacific Island Countries and also in controlled burial sites, generally without the proper measures in place. This is not suitable and proper management is needed when disposing of asbestos, to protect people from further exposure to asbestos fibres.

Disposal by incineration instead has some major disadvantages. The air pollution risks are usually not as high (as they are on continents), thanks to the large expanses of surrounding ocean. Yet the high costs and challenging technological safety demands of incineration tend to make it an inappropriate disposal solution. Improvements in gasification systems and energy recovery could alter this balance over the next few decades. However, the prospect of turning the mountains of plastic residues into an energy source are likely to remain a fantasy in the foreseeable future.

Natural decomposition processes in landfills emit "landfill gas." Approximately half of that landfill gas is methane, the second leading greenhouse gas emitted in the United States. Landfill methane emissions are of national concern because they are the largest source (approximately 33 percent) of anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States.

Integrated waste management systems should possess elements of reduction, collection, recycling, and disposal. One of the significant challenges for waste managers is prioritising and apportioning their budget between these elements to get the best outcome. The costs of different elements varies enormously between countries and even within countries (atoll vs high island; urban vs rural). In general, the PICTs have lower labour costs and higher technology costs than their more developed neighbours. This is important to remember when comparing over-seas systems and developments.

Brisbane City Council manages almost half the city's wastes through one of the most efficient and safe waste systems in the world. A state-of- the-art fleet of dedicated waste trucks and waste and recycling single pass trucks can collect both recyclable material and waste from the kerbside. Recyclable material is taken to Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) for processing. Waste is transported to centrally located transfer stations. From the transfer station the waste is bulk hauled to fully engineered, double sealed landfills with full gas recovery and leachate treatment.

The Guidelines for the Assessment of Wastes or Other Matter that May be Considered for Dumping, referred to in short as the "Generic Guidelines'; as well as the Specific Guidelines for Assessment of Bulky items primarily comprising steel, etc., addressed in this document are intended for use by national authorities responsible for regulating dumping of wastes and embody a mechanism to guide national authorities in evaluating applications for dumping of wastes in a manner consistent with the provisions of the London Convention 1972 or the 1996 Protocol thereto. Annex 2 to the 1996 Protocol places emphasis on progressively reducing the need to use the sea for dumping of wastes. Furthermore, it recognizes that avoidance of pollution demands rigorous controls on the emission and dispersion of contaminating substances and the use of scientifically based procedures for selecting appropriate options for waste disposal. When applying these Guidelines uncertainties in relation to assessments of impacts on the marine environment will need to be considered and a precautionary approach applied in addressing these uncertainties. They should be applied with a view that acceptance of dumping under certain circumstances does not remove the obligation to make further attempts to reduce the necessity for dumping

Because of increasing service demand, government subsidies and foreign aids are not enough for PIF countries to cover its SWM service cost. Efficient and equitable user fee collection is essential for the sustainable SWM service delivery. Many countries piggy-back user fee on electricity bill or water bill.

Economic instruments are market-based incentives or disincentives that aim to change behaviour or consumption patterns. Incentives will reward desirable changes whereas charges can be placed on goods or services to attempt to include the environmental and / or economic costs of waste management in the ultimate price the consumer pays at purchase (polluter pays).