16 May 2025, Port Moresby - To tackle 40 percent of organic material being disposed of at Port Moresby’s Baruni Landfill, the National Capital District Council (NCDC) relies on the waste picker community to undertake ongoing composting activities.
For this reason, the NCDC requested support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the PacWastePlus (PWP) Project. Working with Tonkin + Taylor International, PWP in response delivered the “Operation of Medium-Scale Compost Facilities in the Pacific and Timor Leste” training and specifically invited the waste picker community.
There is no compost facility currently in place in Port Moresby, but an area of the Baruni Landfill was identified in a Master Plan as a suitable site since it has access to water supply (with variable water pressure) and equipment owned by the contractor running the Baruni Landfill. This is where the hands-on composting training was undertaken, equipping 13 participants, including NCDC staff and waste pickers, with the practical knowledge to establish and manage a compost facility. Classroom sessions were held in the landfill’s administration building.
“I have new skills I can teach my friends and family. Instead of waste picking all day, I will make my own compost from organic waste disposed of at the landfill,” said Tere Girau.
“This training is helpful to mothers who are not working, minimising organic waste going to the landfill, and creating compost for gardens,” added Luka Peter.
The training featured a combination of theoretical concepts and practical skills, allowing participants to gain a clear understanding of the composting process, from air-food-water balance to monitoring and troubleshooting.
The participants began by preparing the composting area, sourcing equipment, and setting up the first composting batch. They learned to chop, shred, and remove contaminants from the organic material, and set up a compost batch with the current balance of materials and checking the water and air.
The following day, participants checked on their training batch, attended classroom sessions, and returned to apply their learning by setting up new compost batches.
The training was not only educational it also sparked a sense of ownership and community engagement amongst the participants as waste pickers are now equipped with a new skill set to create compost for their gardens, reducing waste in the landfill and build their capacity to contribute to the local economy.
The training didn’t stop at just the two days of workshops. Participants continue to receive remote support from the trainer through WhatsApp, ensuring their composting efforts remain on track.
As Papua New Guinea moves forward with plans for a new composting facility at Baruni Landfill, the training has laid a strong foundation for a more sustainable and resourceful future.
The work at the Baruni Landfill in Port Moresby will feature amongst the waste management solutions to be highlighted during the inaugural Circularity, Innovation, Recovery, Culture, Learning, and Environment (CIRCLE) Expo 2025.
Organised and facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) over five days in Apia, the CIRCLE EXPO is a multidisciplinary event to address issue of recyclable materials, organic materials, asbestos management, healthcare waste management, e-waste management, used oil management, bulky waste, and Disaster Waste.
The week-long event to be held at the Taumeasina Island Resort from 26-30 May 2025 will launch a 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 inaugural CIRCLE EXPO is funded by the European Union – Pacific Waste Management Programme (PacWastePlus), implemented by SPREP, with support from The Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), ACP MEA, Committing to Sustainable Actions in the Pacific (SWAP), GEF ISLANDS, and JPRISM III. Industry sponsorship was also provided by Tonkin+Taylor International, and the Greater Good.
The intent of the 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 Circularity, Innovation, Recovery, Culture, Learning, and Environment EXPO 2025 also known as the CIRCLE EXPO 2025 is held in Apia, Samoa from 26 to 30 May. It will showcase activities and outcomes from across our Pacific Islands achieved through the support of the Pacific – European Union (EU) PacWastePlus Programme, Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) project, GEF ISLANDS Project and JPRISM III.
The CIRCLE EXPO 2025 is attended by the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It is funded by the Pacific – European Union (EU) Waste Management Programme, PacWastePlus, POLP, the Programme for Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP MEA Phase 3), and SWAP.
For further information please click here or please contact: bradleyn@sprep.org