Experts, businesses, and institutions from both islands gathered on October 9 to explore ways to make waste management more circular, more people-centered, and more collaborative.
On October 9, the General Council chamber at the Palais de la Source hosted the 4th Regional Forum on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), organized by the Journal des Archipels. Under the theme “Our Waste: Treasures to Be Recycled,” the event brought together stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, from Mauritius and Réunion, all involved in waste collection and recycling.
The morning’s session drew on indicators presented by Kantar Analysis regarding perceptions of waste management in Réunion and Mauritius. Based on this data, participants shared their experiences and highlighted solutions that work in practice, with the goal of fostering future economic collaborations at the regional level.
During the panel discussion late in the morning, the speakers emphasized two points:
- the need to share best practices in order to highlight successful initiatives and inspire other stakeholders;
- the importance of the human factor in implementing circular economy solutions.
Discussions also focused on improving waste collection, new careers in the sector, technological innovations in sorting, and the importance of dialogue with local authorities. The goal: to adapt regulations and facilitate regional cooperation on waste management.
The afternoon was marked by the signing of a partnership agreement between representatives of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Réunion-based Qualitropic competitiveness cluster.
The day continued with a roundtable discussion moderated by the IOC and participants in the ExPLOI project (Indian Ocean Plastic Expedition), focused on the question: “Reduce, Reuse, Replace: What Are the Alternatives to Plastic in the Indian Ocean?”
A detailed, illustrated report on the forum can be found in Issue 30 (October–November) of the Journal des Archipels, on its website, and on its YouTube channel, “Archipels Solutions.”
