Waste separation is very important in reducing waste in Honiara for a clean healthy city.

Before we practice 3Rs Concept of reduce, reuse and recycle, all waste that we generate has to be separated according to their types and properties.

Steps of Waste Separation are:

1. Provide sufficient waste bins, or bags for different types of waste to your kitchen and place at a suitable site
2. Separate waste generated each day and throw into the provided bins according to their types and properties
3. Dispose of waste such as empty tins, plastics, papers and other non biodegradable waste for dumpsite in the bin provided along the roadside everyday for pickup from the Council rubbish trucks.
4. Throw organic waste generated each day in a composter or hole dug up for composting. Click here to read our guide on composting [insert link]
5. Sell Aluminiumcans to non ferrous metal dealers for further recycling overseas as we do not have recycling facilities
6. Reuse plastic (PET) bottles to store drinking water at home orreturn to dealers of plastic (PET) bottles for recycling.
7. Return glass bottles to dealers to be reused.

Why waste separation is important?

• Most important reason is for reducing waste in Honiara for a cleaner city.
• Separating your rubbish helps to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to the landfill, reducing demand on Council rubbish collection and speeding up our services.
• Reduced environmental pollution.
• For easy management of waste.
• No emission of bad odor nuisance.
• No dog scavenging.
• Clean environment.
• Money for you from returning bottles or cans to dealers.
• Good quality soil for your vegetable garden and fruits.

REDUCE waste – Use less and throw away less

• Only buy fewer packaged goods
• Not accepting too much wrappings from the shop when doing shopping
• Use home bags and sewn cloth bags than buying plastic bags

REUSE waste by;

• Composting of organic waste to turn in to soil
• Store water in mineral water bottles
• Giving clothes that doesn’t fit well to others to wear

RECYCLE waste – Using waste materials into other products

• Recycle magazines into necklaces and ear rings
• Recycle bottles and rubber containers in to flower vase
• Recycle coconut shells in to hair bins and ear rings
• Using waste clothes for table mats, pot holders, door mats and dolls
• Return Aluminum cans to companies who can buy them for further recycling overseas
• Return Pet bottles to pet bottle dealers for recycling

Waste separation is the best way for waste reduction for cleaner and healthy Honiara.

For more information on how you can create a cleaner Honiara, contact the Environmental Health Division at 28295.