To reduce the issue of waste, particularly glass on the tiny islet of Palmerston, the small community has a glass crusher that not only reduces litter but also promotes recycling and sustainability.

Palmerston’s former Executive Officer (EO) Arthur Neale obtained the machine in 2019 ensuring that Palmerston remains a beautiful paradise for its residents.

Current Executive Officer Stella Neale (Arthur’s sister) said the glass is ground down “and used in making concrete thus reducing the amount of sand needed to be mined from our beaches.”

Neale says, each of the current 10 households are responsible for separating the glass bottles from cans and other items.

Workers on the island make monthly collections of bottles from households or when requested, wash and remove labels and metal or plastic rings.

Once cleaned, they are stored in large reused wooden cargo crates (1 cubic m).

Once the crates are full, the glass is crushed.

“We had three crates full of glass bottles ready to crush which took approximately two and half hours to grind down.

“For the moment, the crushed glass is targeted to be used for making concrete - to mix with the sand to reduce that amount of sand needed,” said Neale.

“This is a pilot programme to see how effective it will be for concrete.

“We have accumulated three drums worth of crushed glass which is reduced to fine powder and plan to use it in the next month for repairing and building up old graves that are disintegrating. The ground glass is very fine and like dry powder so it can't be used as road filling because it would be a respiratory hazard.”

Stella hopes that their small community of currently 23 people will  continue and follow the initiative started by the former EO Arthur Neale in obtaining the crusher to enable this programme to be  successful and sustainable.

“It will be possible with commitment and a desire to keep Palmerston's environment pristine and beautiful,” said Neale.

In December 2024, the Government officially announced that Palmerston has been declared rat-free.

Palmerston is unique, while the rest of the Pa Enua have a democratic voting system in the Island Government Elections to choose their mayor, Palmerston has a convention whereby the heads of the three families (Akakaingaro line, Matauia line and Tepou line) on the atoll take turns in rotation to be mayor.

The Palmerston Island Government are: Mayor - Robert (Bob) Marsters - Matavia Family Head Tepou Tenio line, Councillor for Matavia Line - Tupou Masters; Deputy Mayor – Akakaingaro line;

Deputy Mayor - Taepae Goodley Marsters - Tepou Tenio Family Head  Akakaingaro line, Councillor for Tepou Tenio Line -  Simon Marsters;                       

Councillor for Akakaingaro – Family Head Arthur Fredrick Marsters; Councillor for Akakaingaro Line - Juliana Onegirl Marsters.