The Tapuhia Solid Waste Management Facility at Vaini will be open for public use tomorrow, January 17.

The facility, built at a cost of $12 million pa'anga, includes a public area for recycling and dropping off general household and commercial rubbish, cells to treat general and special rubbish, and septage beds for waste from septic tanks.

A Community Waste Specialist with the project, Sonia Chirgwin, said that the facility, designed by Coffey International could last approximately 30 years, but it could be used for an even longer period of time if the public recycles and composts garden waste instead of sending it to Tapuhia.

"Households, businesses, and institutions such as schools are encouraged to separate their aluminium and steel cans for recycling, and to use their kitchen scraps to feed animals. Car bodies and scrap steel can be taken to GIO Scrap Steel Recycling. Green waste will be accepted for no charge at the Ma'ui'ui Organics Green Waste Facility off Hihifo Road in Kupolu. This will be turned into a valuable compost product to build and enrich soils and grow healthy plants.

"By reducing our waste, we will make the new landfill last longer so that future generations can benefit from this world-class facility," Sonia said in a statement.

The Tapuhia Solid Waste Management Facility is the first world class facility in the Pacific region funded by the Australian Government.

HE Dr Bruce Hunt the new Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, handed over the facility to Tonga's Minister of Health Hon. Viliami Tangi, Chairman of the Waste Authority Ltd., on December 8, 2006.

The construction of Tapuhia began in May 2005 and was completed in October 2006. On September 1 the Tongan Cabinet established the Waste Authority Limited body to run the operation at the site.