Overview 

1. Waste collection: Solid household waste collection is carried out by the Port Vila Municipal Council (PVMC). PVMC has five trucks (3 x 5 ton and 2 x 3.5 ton) for waste collection to service the five wards within Port Vila. 

2. National legislations and policies: National Environmental Policy and Implementation Plan (2016-2030), Waste Management Act 2014, Pollution Control Act 2013, Public Health Act, Environment and Conservation Act. 

3. Government bodies responsible for waste management: Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation. 

4. Service provision (government or private companies): Municipal and provincial councils. 

5. Status of the landfills in the country: There are three waste disposal sites in Vanuatu, Etas Bouffa landfill (PVMC), Luganville dumpsite (Luganville Municipal Council) and Lenakel dumpsite (Lenakel Municipal Council). In other provincial centres, waste is disposed of in assigned areas. 

Port Vila: The Etas Bouffa landfill in Port Vila is the only managed sanitary landfill in Vanuatu and has separate sections for the different types of waste collected. The site is approximately 48 hectares in size. Waste collected by the PVMC and the Shefa Provincial Council are all disposed of at Etas Bouffa landfill. 

Luganville: The Luganville dumpsite was extended in 2017 and the site is now approximately 4.2 hectares with the capacity to last an additional 20 years. Japan International Cooperation Agency donated a bulldozer and a rubbish truck in 2020 and these are currently being used by the Luganville Municipal Council. 

Tanna: All waste collected in Tafea Province is disposed of at the Lenakel dumpsite. There are no facilities at the site. 

6. Recycling programme in the country (including both private and public/governmental recycling facilities): Recycling in Vanuatu is undertaken by RecycleCorp with bases in Port Vila, Efate Island and Luganville, Espiritu Santo Island. RecycleCorp’s main activities are collection, processing, and export of scrap metal. A mobile setup is also available which can facilitate offsite operations in local or remote locations as necessary. Over the last decade, RecycleCorp has exported over ten thousand tonnes of material including scrap steel, lead acid batteries used beverage cans, machinery, used gas bottles, vehicles and electronic waste. [Source: https://recyclevanuatu.com/]  

7. Challenges: Local population pressures, rapid population growth, water pollution, inappropriate land-use practices. 

Hazardous Waste Disposal 

Hazardous waste (including batteries, household appliances, lighting equipment, e-waste, medical waste, lubricants, tyres, etc.) is separated at Etas Bouffa Landfill in Port Vila. RecycleCorp regularly collects metal waste from Etas Bouffa Landfill for processing and export. For more information on waste types, please refer to the WREC project.  

Non-Hazardous Waste Disposal 

Non-hazardous waste is separated at Etas Bouffa Landfill according to the waste type. Green waste collected from residents is taken to the Seaside Facility to be converted to compost and firewood. Septic waste is also disposed of separately at Etas Bouffa Landfill. It undergoes a process where water and waste are separated. 

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