The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

The Greater Good Diaper Project

Brief overview

The Greater Good Diaper Project is a mission-driven social enterprise eliminating plastic diaper waste in Pacific Small Island Developing States through an integrated compostable diaper and service model: deliver, collect, compost. Founded by Dr Jason Graham-Nye and Kim Graham-Nye, the organisation operates in Samoa and is launching nationally in Tuvalu in June 2026. A SPREP-funded scoping trip was recently completed n Vanuatu with the next one being in Fiji in July. Scientific protocols are provided by Plant and Food Research New Zealand. The project is the first globally to deploy Alternative Material Certificates (AMCs) as a financial instrument monetising plastic waste prevention at source.

Describe your innovation

Plastic diapers constitute one of the largest and fastest-growing single-use plastic waste streams in Pacific Island nations, accounting for up to 27% of household refuse in some jurisdictions (SPREP, 2022). Conventional waste management systems – landfill, incineration, open dumping cannot adequately manage their volume or composition. No commercially viable alternative has previously been deployed at a national scale in the Pacific.

The Greater Good Diaper Project has developed and operationalised an integrated compostable diaper and service system purpose-built for Pacific SIDS contexts. The innovation has three distinct dimensions.

First, the product itself: a diaper made with materials designed to be safely composted to national standard, The product has been demonstrated to fully compost within eight weeks under Pacific field conditions.

Second, the service infrastructure: a community-embedded collect-compost loop, designed with and for local communities, that transforms a waste liability into an agricultural input. The SPICE composting methodology enables high-quality compost production without expensive equipment, grid power, or industrial infrastructure, conditions routinely absent in outer islands and rural communities across the Pacific.

Third, the financial architecture: Alternative Material Certificates (AMCs), developed by PCX Solutions, enable verified plastic avoidance to be monetised by corporate and government offtakers seeking plastic waste prevention credits. The Greater Good is the first project globally to deploy AMCs. This mechanism creates a pathway to financial sustainability that does not rely solely on aid or philanthropy.

The system is directly relevant to Vanuatu, where plastic diapers represent a significant and growing waste management challenge. The Greater Good conducted a formal scoping mission in Vanuatu in February–March 2026, engaging the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation, the Ministry of Climate Change, V Organic and Mamma’s Laef, among others, to assess pilot site readiness.

How is this solution innovative?

The innovation is not a single technology but a systems integration: the combination of a certified compostable product, a community-based circular service model, and a new environmental finance instrument into a single deployable package for low-infrastructure island contexts. Prior approaches to diaper waste in the Pacific have addressed only one dimension — product substitution (reusable cloth) or waste collection — without closing the loop through verified composting and without creating a financially sustainable operating model. The Greater Good closes all three gaps simultaneously. The SPICE composting methodology is a no-turn, low-infrastructure composting approach that produces verified compost without industrial equipment — a fundamental requirement for islands where power, space, and technical labour are constrained. The use of AMCs as a revenue instrument for plastic waste prevention at household source is without precedent at project scale globally. The co-design model — which positions communities, and in particular women, as co-designers and operators of the collection and composting system — ensures that the innovation is locally owned rather than externally imposed. The programme embedded this approach in Samoa from inception and is applying the same methodology to Vanuatu scoping and design.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs?

The model has been designed from inception for replication. The scoping-to-implementation pathway is standardised: a POLP-funded scoping exercise (government and community consultations, waste baseline, composting site assessment, pilot location selection), followed by a formulaic implementation plan, a community co-design workshop, and a container-shipped product and equipment package.
This pathway has been completed in Samoa (operational), Tuvalu (launching June 2026), and Vanuatu with Fiji next in July with SPREP’s Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) funding scoping trips across the region.

The implementation plan template, community engagement framework, and SPICE composting protocols are transferable across jurisdictions with modest local adaptation.

Institutional partnerships with SPREP/POLP, national Departments of Waste Management, women’s councils, and composting partners provide the in-country anchors for each deployment.

Scientific oversight from Bioeconomy Science Institute (New Zealand) scales across countries without proportional cost increase. The AMC financial instrument, once established, generates revenue proportional to enrolled families, creating a per-country self-funding trajectory. Fiscal sponsorship through Humanitas (UK/EU/US) enables grant receipt across diverse donor jurisdictions. The model’s capital requirements decrease materially with each additional country deployment as fixed infrastructure and logistics costs are amortised.

How is the solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

From the perspective of end users – families with infants, the service is designed to be cost-neutral relative to conventional plastic diapers. Families in Samoa and Tuvalu pay no premium to access the compostable diaper service. The additional cost of compostable materials and the collect-compost service infrastructure is funded through philanthropic capital during the establishment phase, with a structured pathway to financial sustainability by year two through AMC revenue, scale-driven product cost reductions, and partial redirection of existing waste management budgets.

For local governments, the fiscal contribution requested is typically limited to duty and tax exemptions on product imports – a foregone revenue measure offset by avoided landfill costs, extended landfill life, reduced marine environment remediation liability, and enhanced compliance with national waste policy commitments. No capital expenditure or budget allocation is required from government in the initial years.

The Greater Good’s modelled cost per tonne of plastic eliminated declines materially with scale. At the programme’s target operating scale, the cost reaches approximately $1,470 per tonne – significantly below the Alliance to End Plastic Waste ($5,000/t) and The Ocean Cleanup ($4,246/t). This cost advantage is structural: the collect-compost model prevents plastic waste before it enters the environment, eliminating the far higher cost of recovery after the fact. Cost-effectiveness improves further with each additional country deployment as fixed infrastructure and logistics costs are distributed across a larger operational base.

Locations (country, island, or community) where this solution has been piloted and/or implemented

Samoa – The Greater Good Diaper Project and its founders bring two decades of direct experience in compostable diaper product development, composting science, and community service design across multiple geographies, underpinned by Dr Jason Graham-Nye’s PhD research at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, focused on circular economy frameworks, sustainable consumption, and the systemic conditions required to mainstream compostable diaper solutions in community and policy contexts. Samoa — operational since 2024. Poutasi village, Falealili district, Upolu. Eliminates 700 kg of plastic diaper waste and produces 105 kg of compost per 100 babies per week. Compost quality is independently verified, with scientific oversight provided by Plant and Food Research New Zealand. Tuvalu — national rollout commencing June 2026. Initial deployment of 360 babies in Funafuti, scaling to all islands at full national rollout — 585 babies, approximately 880,000 diapers per year. Collection via Department of Waste Management infrastructure; composting in partnership with the Fatoaga Fiafia Taiwan Gardens and a GG-operated facility. A compostable nappy pilot was previously conducted in Tuvalu in 2020, noted by SPREP as the basis for its subsequent infrastructure recommendations. West Papua, Indonesia — 2021. Village-level circular diaper service piloted by the founders, demonstrating delivery, collection, and composting infrastructure at community scale in a tropical island context directly comparable to Pacific SIDS operating conditions. Vanuatu — scoping completed February–March 2026. Potential pilot sites assessed on Efate (Erakor, Lelepa Island, Tanoliu). Stakeholder engagement conducted with DEPC, Ministry of Climate Change, Vanuatu National Council of Women, V Organic composting facility, Bouffa landfill, and Mamma’s Laef. The Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation has formally endorsed the Greater Good as the implementation pathway for Vanuatu’s legislated ban on disposable diapers. Pilot design in progress.

Learn more:

www.thegreatergood.global

www.atlasdaughters.com/samoa

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.