The recycling project in Kosrae, one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia, is collecting waste and selling it as valuable raw material. It is a win-win situation for the island and its population, as it is creating jobs and at the same time managing waste.
“We are proud to lead the recycling activity in Kosrae. It is giving us more strength to face the hundreds of daily problems we have in conducting the activity on the island,” Stephens said. She coordinates the project together with the manager, Mark Stephens. They have been running the recycling activity in Kosrae since September 2007.
Maria and Mark Stephens participated in the Energy Globe Award in Rwanda in June and they are enthusiastic about leading an environment activity which is acknowledged internationally. More than 800 environmental projects from 105 nations were submitted for the award.
“We had many congrats from the audience, the Rwanda prime minister, the Rwanda minister of environment, etc. Everybody was curious to know where Kosrae is!” said Stephens.
“Kosrae and the recycling activity” were selected as one of three nominees for the world award in the category Earth. The award was finally given to a reforestation project in Mauritius, but the nomination alone was an accomplishment for the recycling plant.
“It was a great experience. For a very small island like Kosrae and a small project as our recycling activity, to be nominated together with such great personalities and countries was a great honor,” she adds.
The United Nations Development Program initiated parts of the Kosrae recycling project when funding the setup of the Materials Recycling Facility between March 2006 and November 2007. All the equipment was given to the people of Kosrae and the recycling plant has been running successfully since the Stephens took over the management three years ago.
“UNDP is pleased to see the continuation of this project and that the people of Kosrae are at the forefront of ensuring that this project benefits not only the company but also the whole community. It is a good example of how a small project can have a great impact on the livelihoods of the communities and the preservation of the environment,” said UNDP resident representative at the Fiji multi-country office, Knut Ostby.
The potential for these types of projects is great in small developing states, as importation of recycle material such as aluminum cans, glass and plastic products, lead batteries and scrap metal is very high.
“A feasibility study for a recycling project was conducted in the Marshall Islands and the other states of FSM (Chuuk, Pohnpei and Yap) and there is potential for setting up a similar recycling mechanism with existing local recycling partners. Other small island developing states like Nauru and Tuvalu may also benefit from such projects,” Ostby said.
