The mountain of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) is an imposing challenge for the Kingdom of Tonga. Statistics show that the main island of Tongatapu has accumulated more than 30,000 ELVs over the years – and with more cars being imported on an annual basis, this number is quickly multiplying, with consequences on the environment.
“If we don’t dispose these vehicles properly, the consequences on our environment and future generations are dire,” lamented Mr Saimone Vuki. “We can’t ignore this.”
The good news is that through the work of Mr Vuki, of the Tonga Recyclers Association (TRA) and their partners, the Kingdom of Tonga has already taken active steps to reduce the problem. “ELVs contain hazardous components such as lead batteries, refrigerant gases, mercury, and mechanical oils,” Mr Vuki said. “They also contain persistent organic pollutants and other brominated flame retardants in the textiles and foams used in artificial leather for seat covers and interior lining, as well as added to hard plastics, electronic parts, cable casings, shrink plastics, tapes, and other vehicular components.”
Mr Vuki was speaking on the second day of the Fourth Clean Pacific Roundtable (4CPRT) in Tuvalu where more than 200 delegates are gathering to advance the work towards a Cleaner Pacific. He was amongst speakers during the Resilient Waste, Sustainable Future parallel sessions, speaking on the topic of the Role of the Private Sector in ELV Management.
“Without proper dismantling and treatment of hazardous components, ELVs may cause soil and groundwater pollution. If open burning takes places, unintentionally produced POPs, dioxins and furans, are also emitted to the atmosphere,” he said.
With this in mind in 2020, Mr Vuki became very concerned that there was no officially designated site for car waste in the country so he started actively collecting scrap cars from around the island and moving them onto eight acres of his own land, where thousands of cars are stacked today. “The situation really changed my life, I wanted to make a difference and ensure we act to protect our environment and our future generations.”
Mr Vuki also started the Tongan Recycling Association, an organisation made up of individuals and private companies who support reducing, reusing, and recycling waste in Tonga. “Our mission is to try and remove the ELVs from the homes and bring it to one place,” said Mr Vuki. To date, there are at least 5,000 abandoned vehicles on Mr Vuki’s ELV yard.
But there is much more work to be done and at the 4CPRT, Mr Vuki advocated for collaboration and more support from potential partners and the government to ensure the mission continues.
He noted that the private sector needed recognition, assistance, expertise, technology and encouraged public private donor partnerships to continue this work. He also acknowledged the close collaboration with Tonga’s Environment Department.
SPREP’s Hazardous Waste Management Adviser, Mr Joshua Sam, said the challenges in the Kingdom of Tonga in dealing with ELVs are quite common across the Pacific.
At the CPRT, the idea is to explore diverse approaches to end-of-life vehicle management through the lens of different economic and geographical contexts, highlighting innovative practices, challenges, and actionable strategies suitable for adaptation in Pacific countries.
Pacific countries will also look to advocate at the international level for the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility into the automotive industry to ensure that car manufacturers are responsible to assist with end-of-life vehicle management in the region, to address the unique circumstances of the Pacific region.
Source: SPREP
