Nauru Benefits from SPTO Plastics Re-purposing Workshop

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has concluded a 3-day plastics repurposing workshop in Nauru, benefitting over 20 participants from wide ranging backgrounds.

Delivered under the Pacific Tourism Waste Action Initiative (PTWAI), with funding from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the workshop is a joint partnership between SPTO and Nauru Tourism Corporation. Previous workshops have been delivered virtually in Kiribati and the Republic of the Marshall Islands whilst in-person
trainings were held in Taveuni and Savusavu in March.

Through the repurposing of plastic waste, the PTWAI incorporates both traditional and scientific knowledge to contribute to marine conservation whilst simultaneously creating sustainable livelihoods for tourism reliant communities. The Community led approach for the project is a defining feature as it looks to engage different segments of the community including women, youth, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTQI community.

While closing the Nauru workshop yesterday, SPTO CEO, Christopher Cocker, acknowledged the significance of the final day of the workshop coinciding with International Earth Day.

“As we celebrate International Earth Day, with the theme of Restore our Earth, we must acknowledge the importance of this workshop which has not only equipped participants with the skills to turn trash into cash but to contribute positively to the protection and restoration of our mother earth”, he said.

PTWAI has gained much needed traction in the region, through a collaboration between SPTO and PIFS, under the Small Island States (SIS) Attachment Programme. An additional workshop is to be delivered virtually to the Federated States of Micronesia from 27th – 29th April.

For further information on this initiative, please contact sustainable@spto.org