Samoa's Tafaigata landfill is slowly running out of space. While the landfill has not yet reached full capacity, space is becoming increasingly limited due to growing waste generation and the allocation of land for recycling activities. 

According to officials overseeing the site, authorities are working to extend its lifespan by at least another decade.

"We are working towards extending, expanding the landfill to its full potential. At the moment, we are looking at at least another 10 years before we reach full capacity,"  said Fuimaono Katenia Rasch, Assistant CEO of the Waste Management Division and Pollution Control Division at MNRE. 

The landfill sits on a 100-acre property, but not all of that land is designated for waste disposal. Some sections have been leased to partners for recycling and waste-related activities, reducing the available dumping space.

"The area that we had assigned to the actual landfill is slowly running out of space," said Fuimaono.

As part of the media tour hosted by the Embassy of Japan and JICA, there was a presentation where Aliimuamua Setoa Apo the Principal Solid Waste Management Officer, outlined several challenges affecting landfill operations, including poor maintenance due to insufficient staffing.

Poor planning, as rapid economic growth has led to fire incidents that damaged ageing ventilation pipes, posing safety and limited space available, which is forcing authorities to explore alternatives.

To address these challenges, authorities are conducting feasibility studies to maximise the landfill’s lifespan while seeking long-term solutions, including potential relocation sites. However, Fuimaono emphasized that landfilling is not a preferred waste management solution. 

"Our main focus is to extend this site and work on other initiatives to minimise waste generation so that we don’t have to keep moving from site to site. We are not promoting or encouraging landfilling," the official explained.

Efforts are being made to promote recycling and waste minimisation to reduce dependency on landfill sites. While space remains available for the next decade, some efforts are being made to ensure sustainable waste management for the future.