21 May 2026, Funafuti– A comprehensive waste audit completed in Funafuti, has generated critical data to strengthen waste management planning, improve resource recovery and support practical responses to Tuvalu’s growing waste challenges.
The audit was led by the Department of Waste Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment, with technical support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the SWAP 2 Project.
Conducted from 16 -24 April 2026, the audit generated updated information on waste generation and composition in Funafuti. Using a standardised methodology, waste samples were collected and characterised to provide reliable data for future planning and decision-making.
“Waste audits give Tuvalu the hard data we need to turn our waste challenges into real, measurable solutions — protecting our fenua (land), moana (ocean) and people,” said Mr Epu Falega, Director of the Department of Waste Management.
The exercise is an important step in updating Tuvalu’s national waste baseline and strengthening current waste management planning, including efforts to reduce problematic waste streams and improve landfill diversion. Its findings will help identify opportunities to expand recycling, composting and other measures to improve overall system performance.
For Funafuti, where limited land area, high population density and dependence on imported goods continue to place pressure on waste systems, access to current and standardised data remains essential. With landfill capacity under strain and ongoing challenges in managing non-biodegradable and bulky waste, the audit provides an evidence base for stronger planning, more effective policy decisions and targeted investment.
The audit also contributes to strengthening disaster preparedness and environmental resilience by improving understanding of waste flows and landfill pressures in a highly vulnerable atoll environment.
The audit included household and commercial waste sampling, landfill assessments, and interviews with households and business owners. In addition to generating reliable data, the process strengthened local capacity through hands-on training in standardised waste audit methodologies and data collection procedures.
SPREP’s technical team supporting the activity included Ms Julie Pillet, Senior Project Officer for SWAP 2, Ms Susana Telakau, Solid Waste Management Adviser, and Ms France Gautrais, Young Professionals Programme-Pacific Youth Coordinator for SWAP 2, working alongside the Department of Waste Management and the Funafuti Council.
“This waste audit will give Tuvalu the current, reliable data needed to strengthen national planning, improve resource recovery, and support practical solutions that work for local communities,” said Ms Susana Telakau, Solid Waste Management Adviser at SPREP.
“It is also an important opportunity to build local capacity and support longer-term, evidence-based waste management.”
Expected outputs include a comprehensive waste dataset, a waste characterisation profile for Funafuti, and a final technical report with recommendations to improve waste management.
The audit has also strengthened local capacity to undertake future audits independently, with trained Department of Waste Management staff scheduled to conduct waste audits in the outer islands between May and July 2026.
Building on assessments undertaken in 2017 and 2019, the exercise will help guide Tuvalu’s next steps towards more sustainable, resilient and evidence-based waste management systems.
ABOUT SWAP
SWAP2 contributes to the objectives of the Cleaner Pacific 2025 Strategy by improving waste management infrastructure, strengthening capacity and promoting regional collaboration. With total funding of EUR 4.3 million provided by the Agence française de développement (AFD), the programme supports nine Pacific Island countries and territories: Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.
The Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific – Phase 2 (SWAP2) project is funded by the Agence française de développement (AFD) and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). For more information, please visit SWAP Project Website or contact Ms Julie Pillet, SWAP2 Senior Project Officer, at juliep@sprep.org or Ms Susana Telakau, Solid Waste Management Adviser, at susanat@sprep.org