The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is in the final stages of developing its e-waste [electronic waste] management national policy.

The Ministry is working on formulating the policy with the support of the European Union-funded Pacific-E.U. Waste Management Programme [PacWastePlus].

In a statement released by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme [S.P.R.E.P.], the Ministry is quoted as saying that the Samoan PacWastePlus project is focused on creating a strong and sustainable legislative environment in Samoa, to support the long-term operation of an e-waste management system, as well as empower the Samoan government and private sector partners to effectively manage e-waste.

The Ministry, with funding and technical support from PacWastePlus, will seek to provide safe e-waste collection and dismantling facilities and incentives to the community in Samoa, to encourage them to return e-waste for recycling and reducing e-waste deposited into landfill, illegally dumps and burning of e-waste. 

The project supports the Samoan Government’s commitments through the necessary legislation – the Samoa National Waste Management Act 2010 – and contributes towards the achievement of the National Waste Strategy 2019-2023 on effective implementation of regional and international conventions [Stockholm/Minamata].

The Ministry acknowledged the continued meaningful engagement and guidance of the PacWastePlus programme in enabling better coordination and partnerships through the proposed project activities between the private sector, communities, and the Government to take a holistic approach for waste management and ownership of their roles for solutions for improved e-waste management.

The PacWastePlus programme is a 64-month project funded by the E.U. and implemented by S.P.R.E.P. across 14 Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste which is now in its implementation phase. It will address both the cost effective and sustainable management of waste and pollution in the priority waste streams of hazardous wastes [asbestos, healthcare waste and e-waste], solid wastes [organic waste, disaster waste, bulky waste and recyclables], and related aspects of wastewater.