In a bid to bring accountability to the plastic pollution produced by corporations and manufacturers, a seminar was organised by the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at the University of the South Pacific this week.
Titled “Brand Audits: Demanding Corporate Accountability for Plastic Pollution under the Break Free from Plastic Movement”, project coordinator Miko Aliño said the seminar was aimed at bringing accountability and to highlight littering issues.
“Most often we see consumers and other stakeholders being blamed for the plastic crisis instead of these manufacturers,” he said.
“I’ve been to some of the national parks in Fiji and it’s great that there has been minimum litter for instance in Colo-i-Suva and Sigatoka Sand Dunes but we’d see them at places like the bus stops and maybe parks as well.”
Mr Aliño said there were many benefits to conducting brand audits.
“Brand audits are important exercises that not only brings accountability to the plastic pollution coming from corporations but they also help inform policies of governments so that they can study which types of materials can be regulated or banned in the future and maybe even consider other alternatives.”
He said Fiji should be a part of a narrative change.
“You can be part of a movement that will propose for better policies in government, phasing out these materials and just bringing about change.”
The PaCE-SD seminar series is a weekly feature at the university during the semester which promotes scientific research and dialogue and provides a platform for graduate students, local and visiting scientists and professionals to share their research and ideas with an audience of people from various backgrounds.
It extends beyond the university community and features speakers from regional development agencies, government and non-governmental organisations and communities as well.
