Solid Waste Management Policy 2016 – 2026.

The Solid Waste Management Policy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of this Policy is ten years between 2016 and 2026. The purpose of this Policy is to improve the Cook Islands' solid waste management and promote shared responsibility for waste management by all stakeholders.
Solid waste management will be improved to support sustainable management of water and sanitation, sustainable land use, ecosystem preservation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable management of the oceans, lagoons and marine resources. In order to maintain ecological health and diversity, sustainable practices will be promoted to manage solid and hazardous waste effectively. Human and environmental health will be protected with a precautionary principle against hazardous substances including persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and ozone depleting substances. Funding mechanisms will be developed based on the polluter pays principle to develop sustainable financing to manage solid waste. Waste prevention will be improved with the application of 4 ‘Rs – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Priority will be given to waste minimization before reuse, recycling and final disposal. To this end, individual and community responsibility will be promoted for solid waste management including large scale suppliers and consumers. Waste prevention and reduction approaches will be implemented in all activities undertaken by government agencies. Furthermore, businesses and industry will be encouraged to adopt waste minimisation practices, including cleaner production technologies. Appropriate waste management infrastructure will be developed for effective separation, disposal and storage facilities. Monitoring and evaluation system will be developed through collection of accurate and up-to-date national statistics on solid waste. Environmental standards will be monitored at waste disposal facilities.
An institutional framework will be implemented to ensure coordinated, effective and efficient management of solid waste including supporting facilities and services. The Water, Waste and Sanitation Division under the Infrastructure Cook Islands shall be responsible of coordination of the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of this Policy. Moreover, the duties of the National Environment Service include policy development, education and awareness, monitoring and evaluation and enforcement, as well as preventing, correcting and controlling pollution, and ensuring the environmentally safe disposal of toxic chemicals and wastes. In addition to that, the Ministry of Health shall be responsible of ensuring public health in the fields of waste management, and hazardous and harmful substances and practices.