Fiji: Green jobs in the waste management sector

A pilot collaboration programme between the ILO, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), waste collectors and townspeople in the western towns of Nadi and Lautoka in Fiji, was undertaken in 2010 and 2011 to establish safer and greener waste collection systems.

A participatory, action-oriented training approach was followed to promote the use of greener techniques with occupational safety and health (OSH) standards amongst waste collectors and their managers. This training approach concluded in the elaboration of the WARM (Work Adjustment for Recycling and Managing Waste) training manual. A manual that aims to improve the safety, health and efficiency of waste collection workers. It uses many illustrations of good examples that waste collectors and managers can put to immediate use and it promotes practical collaborative actions between waster collectors and the community for establishing safety and efficient waste collection systems in Fiji and other countries. The new WARM approach has been widely adopted since by the town councils.