The Fiji Government is strengthening its national response to marine litter through the expansion of its trash boom programme, with eight additional installations scheduled across priority waterways by early January.
The expanded rollout targets high-risk litter pathways, particularly urban creeks, rivers, and drainage systems that discharge directly into coastal waters. By intercepting waste upstream, the programme aims to significantly reduce the volume of plastics and debris entering Fiji’s marine environment.
This phase builds on the early success of trash booms installed at Nabukalou Creek and Bailey Bridge, which have demonstrated the effectiveness of waste interception as a practical and immediate pollution control measure. Lessons from these initial sites are now being applied to improve placement, maintenance, and integration with broader waste management systems.
Trash booms function as first-line interception infrastructure, capturing floating waste during both normal flow and high-rainfall events. The collected material is removed and directed toward appropriate disposal and recycling pathways, supporting Fiji’s transition toward improved waste segregation and circular economy practices.
To support national scale-up, the Ministry has formalised collaboration with Trash Boom Pacific through a Memorandum of Understanding, enabling technical support, site assessments, and operational guidance for new installations.
The programme is being implemented alongside litter hotspot mapping, feasibility studies, and environmental impact considerations, ensuring each site is carefully selected and suited to local hydrological and environmental conditions. Additional hotspot locations have already been identified for 2026, as part of a phased and evidence-based expansion plan.
Community engagement remains a key component of the programme, with increased public involvement in clean-up activities around trash boom sites reinforcing shared responsibility for environmental protection and behaviour change at the source.
The expanded trash boom programme complements the wider work of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change under Fiji’s national waste management, marine protection, and pollution control frameworks.