The Recycle Organics program will be supporting community composting, biodigestion and climate planning in partnership with local institutions this May.
Recycle Organics (RO) continues its work supporting Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in reducing methane emissions from the waste sector with upcoming country visits to Fiji and Samoa this May. The initiative, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, promotes community-based methane mitigation solutions such as composting and biodigestion while strengthening national capacities and advancing climate goals.
In Fiji, the Program will be on the ground from May 12-20. In partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) and the Itaukei Affairs Board, the visit will kick off the implementation of a home composting program in four villages of the Bua Province: Vuya, Nabouwalu, Wairiki and Makolei. Two hundred composting kits will be distributed and community workshops will be held from May 13-14.
“Reducing the current burden on our landfills is a key priority for our Ministry,” said Dr. Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary for Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. “Composting is a win-win, supporting agriculture, reducing waste and supporting both our environmental and climate change objectives. We are very appreciative of the support and assistance from the Government of Canada and Recycle Organics aimed at improving community uptake of home composting.”
The Recycle Organics team will also hold discussions with MECC to identify further opportunities to integrate methane mitigation strategies into national climate planning and explore prospective landfill gas capture initiatives. The team will be meeting with the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) to follow up on the collaboration established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed back in June 2024. This collaboration aims to reduce emissions by treating organic waste through co-digestion in the Kinoya Wastewater Treatment Plant project, while also assessing business models to promote private sector engagement.
The agenda in Fiji then takes the team to a site visit to the Lautoka City Market to assess the impact of the organic waste segregation equipment delivered by the program in 2024. Finally, the program will begin to define the scope of a new educational initiative to promote composting and source separation in secondary schools, in coordination with the University of Fiji, the Ministry of Education and the Pacific Recycling Foundation.
In Samoa, the mission will take place from May 20-25, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MNRE)—particularly the Waste Management and Pollution Control Division. The home composting program will be carried out in the Maagiagi and Vailuutai communities, near Apia, with another 200 composting kits to be distributed during a training workshop on Saturday, May 24. The program is partnering with Youth Group Leaders in both communities to support ongoing outreach and monitoring efforts—while also helping to cultivate the next generation of climate leaders.
The Samoa visit also includes the implementation of an educational and capacity-building program focused on biodigestion. In partnership with MNRE’s Energy Division, training will be delivered to staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Advisory Services, who will then spread this knowledge to farmers in Savaii. Upon completing the training, 10 farmers will receive biodigesters to manage livestock waste while generating biogas and organic fertilizer, improving their agricultural practices and reducing emissions.
The team will interview relevant Samoa stakeholders to evaluate current practices in data collection, as well as monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) protocols. The insights gained will support the creation of a national MRV protocol that aligns with the country’s unique context and available resources. This protocol will further establish a baseline for tracking progress in waste management and measuring greenhouse gas emissions and other short-lived climate pollutants.
The climate action then heads to the Samoa Recycling and Waste Management Association (SRWMA), the Fugalei Market in Apia and several other regional project proponents seeking technical assistance in composting, anaerobic digestion and related technologies. Recycle Organics will explore how to support the expansion of MNRE’s modular biogas systems, which received assistance from the team in 2023.
The Recycle Organics Program aims to assist countries in meeting the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Led by CCAP and ImplementaSur, the Program focuses on policies and projects to promote the sustainable expansion of organic waste treatment technologies. It particularly supports developing countries and SIDS vulnerable to climate change impacts.
The program collaborates with countries like Fiji and Samoa to provide technical assistance in the Municipal Solid Waste sector to reduce methane emissions in the long term. The program has operated in 25 countries globally and has the potential to mitigate up to +30.1 million tons of CO2e. To learn more, visit the program’s website at https://recycleorganics.org/.