The purpose of the second phase of the project “The Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP 2)” is to contribute to achieving the strategic goals of the Pacific Regional Waste and Pollution Management Strategy (Cleaner Pacific 2025) by improving waste infrastructure, building capacity, and fostering regional collaboration of several Pacific Island Countries and French Territories.
It will be implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), over four years (2025-2028), in charge of a maximum budget of € 4.300.00 millions. It will benefit 7 Pacific island countries: Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu, as well as 2 French overseas territories: Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia.
The project aims to support sustainable waste management in the Pacific region, especially:
1. Support local populations and authorities in the development of national waste management policies and actions (collection, sorting, recovery, proper disposal);
2. Improve the delivery of waste services through development of waste management infrastructures and implementing pilot projects; and
3. Strengthen the technical, financial and governance capacities of authorities and practitioners.
The project also seeks to ensure greater complementarity and collaboration among the various regional waste programmes implemented by SPREP. The SWAP 2 Project intends to deliver joint activities and ensures coordination with the main waste programmes, especially: POLP (DFAT) and CleanSea (GIZ) on marine litter, J-PRISM3 (JICA) on solid waste management.
The project is organised around 4 main components:
Marine Litter: The project aims to support a growing awareness in communities and inform public authorities on the amount of litter entering the ocean. Surveys on marine litter found on identified hotspots of the islands, will be delivered and analysed. The results will be disseminated through education campaigns within communities, schools, youth groups and will serve to inform appropriate waste management policies, especially on single use plastic bans.
Used Oils: The project seeks to support beneficiaries countries at every step of the management of such hazardous waste: from collection to storage and disposal. Several activities will be delivered: pilot projects on small scale infrastructures, trainings for all stakeholders involved in used oil, used oil waste management plans and sustainable financing mechanisms.
Solid Waste: The project aims to improve the efficiency of solid waste management, by funding equipment for landfill maintenance, composting of green waste, pilot schemes for the appropriate treatment of plastics (separate collection, shredding of plastics or compacting with a view to recycling, etc.) and workshops for recycling and metal recovery. In addition, funding may be made available to support local micro-initiatives on circular economy.
Regional Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: The project dedicates a significant part of activities to ensure coordination with other waste programmes in the Pacific, fostering synergies and joint activities. It will facilitate the sharing of knowledge, resources, and best practices among Pacific Island Countries and French Territories.