An estimated 30,000 scrapped cars are piled high on dumping sites in Tonga. To help reduce the waste for recycling, car compacting machines will be introduced under a cooperation agreement with the Government of Japan.
On 8 February, Japan’s Ambassador HE Mr. Kensaku Munenaga visited a scrapped car recycling site at Tokomololo in Tongatapu operated by Saimone Vuki, President of the Tonga Recycle Association.
The Embassy of Japan in Nuku’alofa stated that on this site are non-ferrous materials such as copper and tin, and car batteries that were retrieved from scrapped cars, for export.
However, more than 3,000 car frames are not recycled and piled in this 8-acre field.
Under cooperation with the Waste Authority Tonga, who will receive scrapped car compactors through Japan’s Non-Project Grant Aid (Provision of equipment for disaster waste disposal), the WAL and TRA will start the recycling process for all scrapped cars in Tonga in the near future.
It is estimated that there are more than 30,000 scrapped cars in Tonga.
TRA launch
On 26 January this year, TRA was established by two private recycle companies, with the support of JICA’s Technical Assistance 'Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries Phase 2' (J-PRISM 2).
The Ambassador at the launch of this association said the collaboration between Tonga and Japan in the waste management had been in existence for a long time.
"Our collaboration has been crucial in not only improving Tonga’s rubbish collection and disposal methods, but also in kicking off and boosting the recycling aspirations here in Tonga."
In 2022, the Embassy and Waste Authority Limited signed a Non-Project Grant Aid [NPGA] that will enable the Kingdom to recycle scraped cars for the first time.
"WAL submitted its challenging plan of collecting all abandoned vehicles for scrapping into lumps of iron for reuse. Please imagine, how splendid it is, if we could get rid of all the abandoned, discarded cars which now we can see everywhere. WAL is trying to make it happen, and Japan is going to support its plan by providing scrap equipment through its NPGA."