Tonnes of plastic waste from relief aid to Tonga, packed for recycling [1]
Monday, March 14, 2022 - 23:07
Tonnes of plastic water bottles have been coming into Tonga through aid supplies since the Hunga Tonga- Hunga Ha’apai Volcanic eruption and tsunamis devastated coastlines in January.
Volunteers have been collecting the bottles and plastic waste from over 1,500 households in Tongatapu, across Nukualofa to the western and eastern districts, over the last two weeks. The clean up events were organized by the No Pelesitiki Community Group led by founder Eleni Leveni Tevi and volunteers, in a partnership with the Australian High Commission, who has donated two compactors to help recycle the waste.
Australian High Commissioner HE Rachel Moore handed over the machines to Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Poasi Tei on March 12, at Vuna Wharf.
The compactors are to be used by Waste Authority for recycling at Tapuhia and by the activities of the “No Pelesitiki' campaign.
Last week the first volume of plastic waste was compacted and wrapped into plastic bails for loading on the HMAS Canberra for recycling in Australia.
Ms Moore was happy with their partnership with “No Pelesitiki.”
"Since the devastating eruption and tsunami, the international community responded quickly, providing all kinds of humanitarian aid to best support Tonga’s recovery.
“Australia is proud to have been one of the first countries to provide humanitarian assistance to Tonga."
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Government of Tonga was grateful for the much-needed machines.
He said at the end of February, the humanitarian emergency assistance had brought over 1.5 million litres of water, of which 114,600 litres came in plastic bottles: meaning about 86,000 x 1.5L plastic bottles.
"With these two balers, we will be able to stack and compress plastic bottles to be ready for shipment overseas for recycling and reuse," he said.
Eleni said the volunteers who collected the plastic came from the Tongatapu 1-4 constituencies, and included the Youth networks from 350 Tonga Youth of Hahake joined led by Fu’i Naufahu, Women’s groups from Ha’atafu led by Melesila Weilert, Church group Equippers mother’s group led by Lavender Fusitu’a and Tonga Blue Ocean Kia Tatafu.
Businesses also assisted with Digicel Team and TCC both providing credit to volunteers, as well sending text messages to the public about this initiative.
In addition, Digicel provided their generator to support the work of the compression of plastic bottles at Vuna Wharf, led by the Anglican All Saints Youth from the No Pelesitiki campaign.