A Gizo based Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer has acknowledged members of the newly formed Gizo Solid Waste Management Association in Gizo.

JICA volunteer Ms Yuko Furukawa who works under the Division of Energy and Natural Resources of the Western Provincial Government said she is happy with the newly founded Association.

Speaking to Island Sun Ms Furukawa acknowledge members of the Gizo SWM team for their contributions during the Solid Waste Management Fun Day last week at the MSG building.

“Solid Waste Management team in Gizo has been making various sort of recycled goods from plastic bags, wrappers, scrap cloth, old umbrellas.”

“We also highlighted other waste materials, advocating the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as a way of solving the waste problem in Gizo,” Ms Furukawa added.

“Talented members of the SWM Team have come up with creative ideas of turning ‘waste’ into usable items,” Ms Furukawa said.

She said the SWM Team collaborated with Youth@Work to host the second SWM Fun Day event on the 24th of May.

Ms Furukawa explained that the focus of the event was the SWM-themed island dance competition.

She added that talented women from all over Gizo performed island dances, wearing costumes made of leaves, flowers, and even recycled plastics and singing songs about keeping Western Province clean.

Ms Furukawa said another focus of the SWM Fun Day was the showcase of recycled goods and almost all of the items sold by the end of the day, and the money that was made have been put into the formation of the ‘SWM Volunteers Association’, a group dedicated to keeping Gizo Town clean.

This association is open to the public, and have a goal in mind: to open up a recycle shop in Gizo Western Province.