Deputy Prime Minister, Honourable Manoa Kamikamica speaks with Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer, Brent Hill at the Global Recycling Day celebration and the ‘I Recycle’ Program launch at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Fiji National University (FNU) has reaffirmed its commitment to environment sustainability, becoming the sole tertiary institution to partner with the Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) at the launch of the ‘I Recycle’ program at Lautoka’s Churchill Park during the Global Recycling Day (GRD) 2025 celebration last week.
The ‘I Recycle’ initiative, launched in collaboration with key stakeholders, seeks to enhance recycling efforts in communities. As the exclusive tertiary partner, FNU will play an important role in driving awareness, research, and student engagement in sustainability practices.
The celebration, which was officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-Operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Honourable Manoa Kamikamica, brought together representatives from various organisations including environmental warriors.
The theme of this year’s GRD celebration is ‘Breaking Barriers, A Revolutionary Blueprint for the Waste Management Crisis’.
In his opening address, Honourable Kamikamica highlighted the need for all educational institutions to incorporate environmental programmes into their curricula.
He also encouraged every Fijian to take responsibility in reducing waste, recycling properly, and advocating for a cleaner Fiji.
“The time for passive discussions is over. We need real action, real commitment, and real change,” he said.
“Let Global Recycling Day 2025 be a turning point in our journey towards a sustainable and thriving Fiji.”
He said recycling was no longer an option but a necessity.
“With increasing environmental challenges, urbanisation, and growing consumerism, we must ensure that sustainability is at the core of our national development agenda,” said Honourable Kamikamica.
Founder of the PRF, Amitesh Deo articulated that for a long time, they failed to recognise the unruly treatment of the environment.
“We are treating our environment like an open dumpsite and the work done by the grassroots organisations in the recycling space have gone unrecognised,” he said.
“In the Pacific, we are also disproportionally impacted by the improper disposal of waste by the rest of the world – but it is for us here in the Pacific to decide that ‘we are advocates for climate justice and not victims of climate change’.”
He added the theme of this year’s GRD celebration reflected hope for a better tomorrow for all people and the environment.
Deo also emphasised for academics to be more involved in helping such organisations with battling environmental challenges.
“We need to ensure that there is an independent academic lens on what is being done on the ground to take things forward. This means that we need academics and scholars to come out of the universities and colleges and hold our hands to guide us forward and not necessarily write research papers that will or might not have absolutely no impact on anyone or anything,” he added.
“This also means that self-severing organisations should also not be allowed to praise their own programs, purely for economic gain without an independent assessment of an academic lens on this.”
Tourism Fiji Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brent Hill said initiatives to combat the environmental challenges don’t have to just come from Government, but everyone can take responsibility and champion the recycling move.
Lautoka City Council CEO, Mohammed Anees Khan said when the opportunity to partner with PRF came up, there were no second thoughts and Lautoka stood ready to be part of the important initiative.
FNU’s Deputy Director Operations, Kanito Lovobalavu highlighted that the partnership symbolised FNU’s commitment to promoting sustainable practices and fostering a culture of environmental awareness among all students and staff.
“FNU remains dedicated to initiatives that drive positive change. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for our nation,” said Lovobalavu.
The ‘I Recycle’ launch marks a significant milestone towards a cleaner and more sustainable future. With FNU’s active involvement, the initiative is expected to drive long-term benefits in contributing to the country’s broader environmental goals.
For more information, visit www.fnu.ac.fj
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