Abstract

Samoa faces critical waste management challenges due to increasing waste generation and limited recycling capacity, threatening its environment and socioeconomic resilience as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). As the country aims to minimize landfilling and upscale its circular economy, Samoa must address workforce development within the waste management sector, with the potential to expand formal employment opportunities. This policy brief explores the intersection of gender, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) dynamics within Samoa’s waste management context, highlighting both barriers and opportunities to foster an inclusive circular economy.

Drawing on data and stakeholder insights, the brief identifies systemic challenges such as low wages, limited sustainable funding for local recycling associations, gendered work divisions, stigma and entrenched social norms affecting waste workers, and insufficient documentation on the health impacts of hazardous waste and malpractices, such as open burning in Samoa. To address these challenges, the brief recommends fostering inclusive employment policies, supporting advocacy initiatives from waste workers, improving workplace accessibility, harmonizing health and safety standards, and facilitating professional mobility through capacity-building programmes. It also underscores the importance of documenting gendered exposure routes to hazardous waste, both in domestic and occupational settings, to guide the development of targeted interventions.  

By considering these interconnected issues, Samoa can create a more equitable and sustainable waste management system, advancing a just transition to a circular economy that aligns with the global commitment of “leaving no one behind”.