The inauguration ceremony for the PET bottle and aluminum can recycling facility by the Tongariro Recycling Association （TRA） was held in Kolomotu'a.

On March 22, 2025, the Tonga Recyclers Association (TRA) held a ceremony in Kolomotu’a to officially launch its PET bottle and aluminum can collection program and to mark the completion of its recycling facility. TRA has begun "Tufi Tanaki Pea Fua (collect-resource-sell it)" program since 2024 to collect, compress, and export used PET bottles and aluminum cans in collaboration with Coca-Cola Euro Pacific Partners (CCEP), Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific, and SWIRE SHIPPING.

Beverage container collection was piloted at eight schools in Tongatapu Constituency No.1 in 2024, and after the full launch of the program in 2025, the collection network will be expanded to all schools in Tongatapu. J-PRISM3, a waste management project implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in nine pacific island countries including Tonga, supported the procurement of collection bags for the program.

The ceremony was attended by approximately over 50 people, including Hon Mateni Tapueluelu, Minister for Customs and Inland Revenue, His Excellency Hisao Inagaki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan, MEIDECC, WAL, JICA Tonga Office, and J-PRISM3 experts etc.

In his guest of honour speech, Hon. Mateni Tapueluelu, Minister for Customs and Inland Revenue said," Remarkable success of the pilot project in Tongatapu Constituency No.1, from June to December 2024, collected over 2,000 kilograms and 80,000 waste items from eight schools. This initiative has set a high standard for environmental conservation and public responsibility. We look forward to expanding it across all of Tonga".

Ms. Yoko Onuma, Chief Advisor of J-PRISM3, offered her congratulations, saying, "Efforts of Tonga Recyclers Association, in collaboration with Coca-Cola, to expand the collection of beverage bottles and cans across Tongatapu represent the greatest achievement since the establishment of the Tonga Recyclers Association”.

Mr. Ryan Mahoney, Commercial Director, Coca-Cola Euro Pacific Partners (CCEP), urged Tongans to “Please collect your PET plastic bottles and bring them into the designated collection sites. Encourage everyone to do the same. Together we are taking the significant step towards the sustainable future”.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Simone Vuki, President of the TRA, emphasized the significance of this initiative, saying, " Work on the recyclable materials is very hard for us to get rid of. We won’t be able to send them overseas. Simply because it’s too expensive to process. Freight cost killing us. Price of material is not enough. Role of the TRA is to look at rubbish, work together with companies like Coca-Cola, and we send them overseas for global recycling, and reintegrate these materials back into the circular economy". He also expressed his gratitude to all the partners who are supporting this program.

The PET bottle and aluminum can collect through TRA's program will be compressed using a compressor at TRA's recycling facility at Kolomotu’a, and then the PET bottles will be exported to Malaysia and the aluminum cans to Australia.