Pacific Island countries and territories have amassed a huge amount of waste, much of it hazardous, including large amount of plastics. These wastes are washed into the surrounding seas when tropical cyclones and floods occur, and marine litter continually enters the region on ocean currents from stormwater, fishing vessels, cruise ships and container ships.
Considering thechallenges, the China Navigation Company/Swire Shipping and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) signed a memorandum of understanding 20 March 2018 to address critical waste management issues in the Pacific Islands as part of the Moana Taka Partnership.
The Moana Taka Partnership helps alleviate the burden of waste on islands in the Pacific by enabling Swire shipping vessels to utilise empty shipping containers to transport non-commercial recyclable waste from islands. This waste is transported to countries with appropriate waste disposal facilities, ensuring that everything from oil to plastics to aerosols are properly recycled.