Tokelau waste composition stock-take: trip report August 2006

One of the three pillars for acquiring sustainable development at any national level is the environment – more specifically a healthy environment. It is widely recognized that pollution of the environment is one of the major threats to sustainable development in the Pacific islands and has a direct influence on the quality of people’s lives. It has the potential to cause negative impacts on national development activities, including tourism and trade, food supplies, public health and the environment. The generation and disposal of wastes has direct and indirect linkages to economic development. Waste materials represent wasted money, in terms of the original cost of the materials, the costs of disposal, and also the potential value of the material as a reusable resource.