JAA-FSM waste survey demonstration

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Category: News
Published: Friday, 17 May 2019 05:25
Written by Bill Jaynes
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JAA

JAAOn February 16, 2019, the JICA Alumni Association (JAA) officers and several members conducted a Waste Survey demonstration at Dekehtik Causeway to approximately eighty (80) Talent Search Program (TSP) seniors. The purpose of the waste survey was to collect information from a site that is mostly filled with garbage. This would be the third time the JAA group conducted a Waste Survey demonstration. The first one was held on November 11, 2016, at Nett Point to College of Micronesia-FSM Japan Micro group students. That survey confirmed the rise in plastics as part of marine debris. The second one was on March 2018 on Lenger Island.

This year's Waste Survey Demonstration at Dekehtik was attended by His Excellency Ryoichi Horie, Japan Ambassador and Madam Ambassador, Mr. Shinji Shibata, JICA Resident Representative and Mrs. Shibata, newly elected JAA-FSM Officers, JAA-State Officers from Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, Embassy of Japan staff, JICA staff, FSM DECEM staff, FSM HESA Staff, Pohnpei State EPA staff, TSP staff, JICA Volunteers and several onlookers. A total of 130 participants engaged in the Waste Survey demonstration which entailed the following activities: a) collecting different types of waste along the sidewalks and shorelines; b) separating waste by types; c) counting each waste type, and d) weighing waste by types. A total of 88 aluminum cans was collected from the areas where Senator Perman's huts were located to the main entrance of the causeway a few feet from the stop signs. However, about 277.7 kilograms of plastic materials were retrieved from a single trash bag. There was a total of 100 trash bags utilized on that day. Of course, plastics remains to be the dominant waste type. For that, Mr. Ryota Okiguchi, a JICA Volunteer at Pohnpei EPA shared the importance of the 3Rs: Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle, and in addition, introduced another R: Refuse! Finally, an awareness billboard was installed near Senator Perman's huts to remind the general public to manage waste. Let's manage waste!

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