Tonga’s asbestos abatement efforts have earned the nation the Best Country Booth award at the CIRCLE Expo 2025 in Samoa.
The Kingdom’s display at the Circularity, Innovation, Recovery, Culture, Learning, and Environment (CIRCLE) Expo highlighted its successful collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the European Union-funded PacWastePlus programme.
The project involved the safe removal and disposal of approximately 2,623 square metres of non-friable asbestos from five government buildings in Tongatapu. Three of these structures have since been re-roofed and are back in use, while the remaining two are derelict.
A key outcome of the initiative was the development and approval of Tonga’s Asbestos Management Code of Practice (AMCOP), which sets national standards for the handling and supervision of asbestos-containing materials (ACM).
Speaking at the Expo, Ms Sulieti Hufanga-Ofa of Tonga’s Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) said, “Here at the CIRCLE Expo, there are a lot of success stories, but I can say and I think the asbestos removal project is the highlight from this PacWastePlus project for us in Tonga because of the impact it has had on the protection of lives and our communities.”
The CIRCLE Expo, held from 26 to 30 May at Samoa’s Taumeasina Island Resort, brought together representatives from 15 Pacific nations to showcase regional waste management initiatives. Tonga’s booth featured information on hazardous waste, disaster waste, and landfill operations, along with visual documentation of the asbestos removal process.
Ms Hufanga-Ofa emphasised the importance of collaboration, stating, “It’s very important we conduct the activities through the government, and strengthen the relationship with local businesses, private sector, public enterprises. It’s very important that we work together with our partners, including the communities.”
The asbestos abatement project is part of Tonga’s broader efforts to eliminate hazardous materials and strengthen environmental resilience, particularly in the wake of natural disasters like Cyclones Gita and Harold, which exposed ACM in damaged infrastructure.
The PacWastePlus programme continues to support Pacific nations in developing legislation to ban asbestos imports, conducting public education campaigns, and implementing safe disposal practices.
