With a growing population and consumer's changing shopping habits, Samoa and other Pacific countries can expect to start grappling with a new policy challenge of tackling increased waste generation, environmentalists warn. 

In the Pacific alone close to 40 per cent of green waste (organics) end up in landfills when they could have been easily turned into compost and used in backyard gardens and farms and be used instead of environmentally harmful fertilisers.

This has led to the Acting Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.), Anthony Talouli calling for action. 

“Our responsibilities to care for our environment grow also,” said Mr. Talouli.

He added that there are many good habits that we can do daily to care for our planet and help reduce the strain that comes with a growing population.

“We must act…if you cannot reuse, refuse it, especially when you know that single use products cause harm to the environment, and if you do not really need it, do not buy it.

“Choose reusable water bottles or cups instead! 

“We encourage everyone to work together for a Cleaner Pacific this World Population Day, we can do this,” said Mr. Talouli.

It is projected that the world population will increase by 2 billion in 2050, a dramatic growth from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 9.7 billion. 

With rapid population growth, urbanisation and consumer shopping habits, waste generation is expected to increase. Recent waste audits conducted in the Pacific indicate that current economic and social developments present challenges for sustainable waste management.

The growing population is largely driven by higher reproductive success as more people live to reproductive age. Other factors influencing growth include fertility rates, accelerating rate of urbanisation, and increasing numbers of international migration, particularly in countries accepting large numbers of economic migrants and refugees.

World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development. 

According to a statement from S.P.R.E.P., the Pacific Community (2020) has recorded a steady increase in population growth for most of the countries in the Pacific region. 

“The concern with continuous growth in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is the negative implications this has on a state’s ability to ensure environmental sustainability over the long-term.

“End-of-life products, and stockpiles of bulky waste are causing a strain on the natural environment, and this will only increase with an increased population.

“Easy acts such as refusing or reducing purchases that create waste people are protecting our environment.”

The PacWastePlus programme is working with a number of participating countries on several initiatives to reduce waste ending up in landfills.  

The Pacific-EU Waste Management Programme (PacWastePlus) is a EUR $16.5 million, 64-month project funded by the European Union and implemented by S.P.R.E.P. and will address both the cost effective and sustainable management of waste and pollution as well as broader impacts including human health and wellbeing, climate change, disaster management, biodiversity conservation and resource recovery.