Waste management in Tuvalu Case Study Click on the following links for further information about this case study: Teacher's Notes Student Activities Introduction Tuvalu is made up of nine islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, north east of Australia. The capital is Funafuti. Increasing population and increased consumption of goods on Funafuti have contributed to a major waste disposal problem. At present there is no formal waste disposal system and no regulation of the type of materials dumped into the existing borrow pits (remnant quarries created during World War Two (WWII) when constructing Funafuti's runway). The Tuvalu Waste Management Project In 1996 Australia agreed to assist the Government of Tuvalu to develop a comprehensive waste management program for Funafuti. This involved funding a field visit by a team to undertake the design of a comprehensive waste management program. The project is currently in implementation stage. To ensure its sustainability, consideration was given during the project's development stage to Tuvalu's limited land availability and financial resources. The project is focusing on a waste management plan for Funafuti and its town council. It is hoped that the Government of Tuvalu will extend the lessons learnt from this project to the outer islands. What type of waste? The waste management project has identified three major categories of waste: solid waste: includes food scraps, garden rubbish, paper, plastics, cans, glass; special wastes: includes medical, waste oil, PCBs, asbestos, chemicals, batteries, quarantine and community pig wastes; waste water: includes kitchen waste water, household septic tanks, school and public toilets. Table 1: Summary of objectives for components of the waste management project Component of waste management project Objective 1: Waste Reduction To reduce the amount of potential waste entering the country and subsequently being disposed of in landfills 2: Municipal Solid Waste Management To develop an effective and efficient municipal waste management (collection and disposal) system 3: Waste Water Management To develop a waste water improvement strategy through the piloting of various schemes, and improving facilities and institutions 4: Hazardous and Special Waste To develop an effective and efficient hazardous and special waste management system The ongoing lack of treatment or proper disposal of waste contributes to the environmental degradation of Funafuti's limited residential areas and its coastal zones. This has had adverse impacts on the health of both the natural systems and the human population. The inadequate maintenance of sewerage and solid waste services affects the ground water supply and leads to an increase in the population of disease-carrying insects as well as hindering the development of tourism and fisheries. Expected benefits of the Tuvalu Waste Management Project Tables 2a and 2b summarise the anticipated benefits of implementing the comprehensive Tuvalu Waste Management Project. Table 2a: Summary of expected development benefits of the Tuvalu Waste Management Project. Impact Aspect of local impact Description of benefit DEVELOPMENT on people better quality of life for people living in Funafuti due to less crowding after land reclamation, fewer pests and disease-carrying insects, and a more pleasant environment; positive action taken to remedy the increasing problem of solid waste disposal will further increase national pride and a sense of confidence in a sustainable future. on the national economy improvements to the natural and human environments of Funafuti are expected to result in better conditions for developing a tourist industry for Tuvalu; the production of soil (through composting) in which crops can be grown is expected to assist the development of the subsistence economy by reducing Tuvalu's need to import highly processed foods and other goods; better waste management is expected to lead to a better standard of human health, fewer days of absenteeism, higher work productivity and a reduced burden on the public health system; the economy will be stimulated by the eventual release of lands previously occupied by wastes. on the environment improvements in the health of the ecosystems especially adjacent to Fogafale on Funafuti Atoll; quality of the freshwater lens (or groundwater system) is expected to improve as the load of effluent coming from leaking septic tanks and seepage pits is reduced; subsequent reduction of the rates of algal growth in near shore lagoon coral communities; potential for recovery in some coral communities and benefits to fish production due to lowering nutrient loads into these habitats; reduction in amount of habitat that is choked and/or anaerobic as a result of large amounts of solid wastes; the removal of hazardous wastes such as hydrocarbons, PCBs, pesticides from residential areas is expected to minimise risk of poisoning to humans and ecosystems. Table 2b: Summary of expected political benefits of the Tuvalu Waste Management Project Impact Aspect of local impact Description of benefit POLITICAL Meeting obligations/ requirements of international conventions The Tuvalu Waste Management Project will help to address issues that are outlined in relevant international conventions to which Tuvalu is a signatory: South Pacific Regional Environmental Treaty; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Biological Convention; Vienna Convention on Protection of the Ozone Layer; Montreal Protocol on Substances which Deplete the Ozone Layer. Existing Waste Stream Composition The household solid waste stream composition has been investigated and Table 3 identifies these components of waste prior to the commencement of the project. Table 3: Average household waste stream composition for Funafuti Component Average Waste Stream (by % weight) Average Waste per Household (kg/ house/ week) Average Waste Stream (by % volume) Average Waste per Household (m3/ house/ week) Paper & cardboard 5.5 1.95 9.4 0.02 Food/kitchen 2.8 0.99 1.2 0.00 Garden 70.9 25.29 61.8 0.11 Wood/timber 0.3 0.11 0.0 0.00 Glass 2.6 0.93 1.5 0.01 Aluminium 0.6 0.22 3.4 0.01 Steel cans 2.4 0.86 4.4 0.01 Other metals 1.5 0.53 1.5 0.00 Plastic containers 2.0 0.71 5.0 0.01 Plastic bags & film 1.8 0.64 5.4 0.01 Rock & soil 5.1 1.84 1.4 0.00 Textiles, leather & rubber 4.3 1.52 4.6 0.01 Hazardous materials 0.3 0.11 0.5 0.00   Total Weight = 35.7 kg/house/wk Total Volume = 0.18 m3/house/wk Source: Report on Tuvalu Waste Management Project Waste Reduction Targets WR2, 9 May 2000. Solid waste management One component of the Waste Management Project is to develop a plan for addressing the management issues associated with solid waste. A number of options have been proposed for solid waste disposal and these are summarised in Table 4. Table 4: Summary of options for solid waste disposal in the Tuvalu Waste Management Project Option Description 1. Minimisation at source Use legislation and tariffs to restrict the entry of non-biodegradable and hazardous wastes Buy goods in bulk and repackage using environmentally friendly or reusable materials Limits to be set on the number and types of vehicles being imported into the country 2. Reusing Encourage reuse of certain items Ongoing need for glass bottles and most containers for storing drinks, foods, liquids and other items Reusable scrap metals could be encouraged to be cut off disused vehicles and used for other purposes (eg BBQs) Potential for craft and local produce to reuse materials such as the bottling of sinu (coconut oil) 3. Recycling Currently aluminium cans (Can Care program) are being recycled on Funafuti A magnetic separation system is required to ensure that steel cans do not accidentally contaminate the aluminium stockpiles Other recycling options could also be investigated such as the possibility of recycling batteries, metals, silver nitrate and lead from x-ray film processing by backshipping to Fiji 4. Composting & mulching Green wastes are currently mixed with general and hazardous wastes at uncontrolled dumps or existing borrow pits Proposal for householders to separate green waste which will either be shredded for mulch or composted either by the project or on a household basis 5. Landfill dumping Limiting landfill activity to one well managed site which is appropriately planned, prepared and remediated after the life of the landfill 6. Deep ocean dumping For removal of large non toxic wastes such as car bodies, WWII remains, machinery etc if possible All items should be cleared of hydrocarbons or other hazardous chemicals and pieces that could become jetsam Current community issues related to implementation of solid waste disposal Any areas on the atoll can become targets for dumping by the people of Funafuti with the areas at greatest risk being the ten borrow pits on Fongafal. To encourage the development and use of an appropriately managed landfill, these borrow pits need waste materials sorted and re-stored appropriately and then filled to prevent further use as rubbish dumps. Aluminium cans litter the land areas and near-shore lagoon habitat of Fogafale Islet, which is located in the east of Funafuti Lagoon. Research into the reasons for a lack of recycling of aluminium cans has shown that people find the deposit for returning cans is an insufficient incentive. Furthermore, the crusher at the recycling centre is not working efficiently. These problems are compounded by a global trend where the price of aluminium is falling, threatening the economic viability of can recycling. Composting is traditionally practised on Funafuti Island and many households also use green materials as pig food. Generally, organic garden by-products are seen as a waste rather than a valuable resource to be used for supporting soil improvement. Coconut products need to be shredded to become useful for mulching and composting but due to their toughness they are difficult to shred. Consequently there was a need for investment into a suitable shredder and a plan for access to and use of the equipment by the community. Project Design: Management of risks for solid waste disposal options in Funafuti A landfill site would need to be located so a cyclone or storm waves could not break through and wash rubbish into the lagoon; Unlined borrow pits should not be used as leachates or hazardous wastes could contaminate the area; Leachate from the landfill would need to be prevented from entering the near shore lagoon environments causing eutrophication; Community participatory workshops will be necessary to overcome cultural resistance to composting; Actions would be necessary to prevent other sites on the island continuing to be used for dumping. Siting of the Municipal Waste Landfill on Funafuti, Tuvalu Consultants have investigated the possible options of using a single borrow pit for the siting of an appropriately managed landfill on Fogafal. They decided to assess the environmental health risks associated with each of the ten existing borrow pits summarised in Table 5. The preliminary risk assessment was conducted on the basis of inspection of the borrow pits and their surrounds to assist in the decision making process for the landfill's site selection. The objective of the preliminary risk assessment was to allow an initial evaluation of the risks, of potential environmental impacts associated with the borrow pits, on a semi-quantitative basis. Table 5: Summary of the preliminary borrow pit risk assessment Risk Borrow Pit No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Human health risk 33 10 15 21 13 18 37 21 18 49 Risk to lagoon environment 15 12 30 15 24 18 18 11 11 15 Risk to ocean environment 21 10 15 17 11 11 24 24 28 31 Total Score 69 32 60 53 48 47 79 56 57 95 Risk Ranking High Degree of Risk - Score 37 or above Moderate Degree of Risk - Score between 16 and 36, inclusive Low Degree of Risk - Score between 0 and 15, inclusive Source: Report on Tuvalu Waste Management Project Landfill site selection MSW2, 12 May 2000. Table 5 identifies the 'risk rankings' for each of the three risk categories. This provides a mechanism for prioritising the issues where more detailed investigations and/or assessment may be required to reduce or manage the risk. The risk is scored using a semi-quantitative numerical scoring system that combines estimates of the likelihood and consequence of a hazard in the context of existing conditions. The hazards defined as part of this risk assessment are confined to issues relating to contamination from waste disposal. While Borrow Pit 2, on the north of the island, had the lowest degree of risk, it was dismissed as a potential landfill site during implementation because of the large haulage distance between residents and the site, and due to poor road conditions. Other utilities such as power were also unavailable at this site. These factors made this site ineffective for a residential collection service and not satisfactory for the location of the landfill. The remaining borrow pits were also rejected as possible options for well-managed landfill with the exceptions of pits 1 and 4. Borrow Pits 1 and 4 had a moderate degree of risk and were located in less populated areas. Further evaluation of the suitability of these two sites was carried out as seen in Tables 6a and 6b. Table 6a: Detailed evaluation of landfill suitability associated with Borrow Pit 1 Borrow Pit Borrow Pit section Evaluation item Comments of Suitability 1 Northern end Site setting Tidal water in base of pit Residential development High amount of existing development on surrounding banks Road access General access to southern end of island is poor & existing access is one lane only; may not be suitable for heavy vehicle access Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 15-20 years Central section Site setting Tidal water in base of pit Residential development Moderate amount of existing development on surrounding banks Road Access General access to southern end of island is poor & existing access is one lane only; may not be suitable for heavy vehicle access Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 7-15 years Southern section Site setting Tidal water in base of pit Residential development Moderate amount of existing development on surrounding banks Road Access General access to southern end of island is poor & existing access is one lane only; may not be suitable for heavy vehicle access Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 7-15 years Source: Report on Tuvalu Waste Management Project Landfill site selection MSW2, 12 May 2000. Table 6b: Detailed evaluation of landfill suitability associated with Borrow Pit 4 Borrow Pit Borrow Pit section Evaluation item Comments of Suitability 4 Northern end (Laisini House to next house south) Site setting Tidal water in base of pit Residential development Houses present at n'thern & s'thern end only Road Access Suitable road access but would require turn in for trucks Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 5-10 years Central section (sth to the Vancamp bar & shop) Site setting Tidal water in base of pit Residential development Moderate amount of existing development on along lagoon side bank and at s'thern end Road Access Suitable road access but would require turn in for trucks Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 7-15 years Southern end (Taoa house sth to vacant land before BP Depot) Site setting Base level above tidal influence Residential development Taoa house at n'thern end only, no other surrounding development Road Access Suitable road access but would require turn in for trucks Services Power & telephone run past site Estimated landfill life 2.5-5 years Source: Report on Tuvalu Waste Management Project Landfill site selection MSW2, 12 May 2000. After both the preliminary risk assessment and the more detailed evaluation of the suitability of the burrow pits for the landfill site, the consultants recommended that Borrow Pit 4 was most desirable for the potential development as it had existing infrastructure to support the development of the landfill. The best section of Borrow Pit 4 for landfilling was the Southern end as it is a smaller site. This size would be easier to control and manage during the project's implementation and provide a demonstration for landfill closure and rehabilitation processes within the project timetable. Confining the experience to this small area ensures a working model for the Tuvalu community of how to plan, develop, manage and remediate a landfill site for future development of such an activity across the country.   Top © Commonwealth of Australia