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Field Ready has many emerging plastic projects, from small scale recycling in Jordan, to the implementation of experimental technologies such as the polyfloss machine. As our program in the Pacific Region kick off, we recently went to Vanuatu on an assessment to determine the scope of potential plastic projects and how we can work in this context.
Vanuatu imports around 2700 tons of plastic products per year, a majority staying around Port Vila. Plastics also account for 15% of waste in Vanuatu. Plastics are detrimental to the environment for many reasons; from the depletion of unrenewable resources to the accumulation in the environment, often ending up in the ocean and ingested by animals. Field Ready's Abi Bush was recently in Vanuatu researching the current waste practices and investigating potential ways we can work in the country as well as developing partnerships.
Abi spoke with importers to see where the recycling is going. Here is a breakdown of the different types of plastics:
Abi found that there was a culture around reusing plastics until they are no longer useful, however larger scale recycling operations were not as prevalent. With the culmination of reducing waste and implementing more advanced recycling initiatives we can mitigate the plastic waste problem in Vanuatu and the region.