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It’s Day 4 of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 in Samoa. As part of the Greening of CHOGM initiative, businesses, private sectors, and key industries like accommodation and food & beverage have taken serious efforts to reduce plastic use and waste. We speak with two women leading this change at the Manaia Women’s Maketi (Market): Papali'i Mele Maualaivao, Country Program Coordinator for UN Women, and Fetu Saili, a market vendor. Neeraj Chadha, Marriott International’s Multi-Property Vice President for the Pacific Islands, also shares the plastic reduction efforts his hotel is undertaking. 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.

The impact of waste and pollution is taking its toll on the health of communities, degrading natural ecosystems, threatening food security, impending resilience to climate change, and adversely impacting social and economic development of countries in the region. The PacWastePlus programme will generate improved economic, social, health and environmental benefits by enhancing existing activities and building capacity and sustainability into waste management practices for all participating countries.