Welcome to SPREP’s inaugural Circularity, Innovation, Recovery, Culture, Learning, and Environment (CIRCLE) EXPO 2025. Proudly hosted by the SPREP Waste Management & Pollution Control Programme with support from PacWastePlus, Pacific Ocean Litter Project, SWAP, and the ACP MEA project.
The 2025 CIRCLE EXPO launched a new biennial event held alternately with the Clean Pacific Roundtable (CPRT), ensuring there is an annual opportunity for countries, industry, civil society, and tertiary institutions; to come together, discuss and explore issues of waste and pollution management in the Pacific.
The intent of CIRCLE EXPO is for stakeholders to showcase their actions and successes to build capacity throughout the region, and drive innovation and shared action to address waste management and pollution control.
The 2025 inaugural CIRCLE EXPO primary supporter was the European Union – Pacific Waste Management Programme (PacWastePlus), proudly implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, with support from GEF ISLANDS, The Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), ACP MEA, Committing to Sustainable Actions in the Pacific (SWAP), and JPRISM III.
CIRCLE EXPO saw:
- Presentations by PacWastePlus, POLP, SWAP, and ISLANDS Project highlights and learnings;
- Showcased individual country activities and outcomes;
- Hosted forums on Waste-to-Energy, Emerging Issues, and the first regional Women-on-Waste (WOW) forum;
- Provided an opportunity to learn from each country on the project actions;
- Explored new funding opportunities; and
- Engaged with peers, SPREP staff, the European Union’s Delegation to the Pacific, representatives from private industry, civil society, and tertiary institutions involved in waste management and pollution control.
Convened over five days in Apia, Samoa, CIRCLE EXPO delivered an exciting multidisciplinary event addressing issues or recyclable materials, organic materials, asbestos management, healthcare waste management, e-waste management, used oil management, bulky waste, and Disaster Waste. Dedicated Forums were held on issues of Waste-to-Energy, Emerging Hazardous Waste issues, and the first Regional Women of Waste Forum. CIRCLE EXPO was attended by practitioners from governments from the 14 Pacific Islands, 7 Pacific Territories, and Timor-Leste, join with partners from industry, civil society, and regional tertiary institutions to showcase activity in the waste sector over the last 6 years.
CIRCLE was cemented into the Regional Waste Event Calendar, occurring every two years from 2025, providing a valuable opportunity for waste practitioners to learn from each other regularly, and enabling the biennial CleanPlacific Roundtable to focus on strategic issues (on an alternate biennial schedule).
CIRCLE EXPO venue:
The Conference was held at the Taumeasina Island Resort, Apia, Samoa; a short drive from the heart of Apia, and located only a short walk from the famous Palolo Deep Trench.