Talanoa has been defined as 'talking about nothing in particular ' , 'chat' or 'gossip' . It is within the cultural milieu of talanoa that knowledge and emotions are shared and new knowledge is generated. Talanoa has recently been taken up by development researchers and others as a culturally appropriate research method in Pacific contexts. However, talanoa is often treated as synonymous with 'informal open-ended interviews' and tends to gloss over the deep empathic understanding required in such exchanges. Highlighting the connection between talanoa and empathy is vital in ensuring that development practitioners and researchers are implicitly aware of the political dimensions, cultural appropriacy and socio-ecological impact of their research methods. This connection is also critical in illuminating how talanoa as a method may decolonise research in the Pacific, inform the decolonisation of research in other cultural contexts, and contribute to ethical and empowering development policy and practice. We will argue for the merits of what we refer to here as 'empathic apprenticeship': an intentional, embodied, emotional, and intersubjective methodology and process between the researcher and the participant. An empathic apprenticeship has the potential to enhance shared understandings between all human beings and is essential if talanoa is intended as a decolonising research methodology.

To eliminate plastic pollution, a holistic approach is needed

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Polystyrene (PS) is a petroleum-based plastic made from styrene (vinyl benzene) monomer.Sinceitwasfirstcommerciallyproducedin1930,ithasbeenusedforawide range of commercial, packaging and building purposes. In 2012, approximately 32.7 milliontonnesofstyrenewereproducedglobally,andpolystyreneisnowaubiquitous household item worldwide. In 1986, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the polystyrene manufacturing process was the fifth largest source of hazardous waste. Styrene has been linked to adverse health effects in humans, and in 2014,itwaslistedasapossiblecarcinogen.Yet,despitemountingevidenceandpublic concernregardingthetoxicityofstyrene,theproductofthepolymerisationofstyrene,PS, isnotconsideredhazardous.Thischapterdrawsonaseriesofmovementscalledthe'new materialisms'toattendtotherelational,unstableandcontingentnatureofPS,monomers and other additives in diverse environments, and thus, we highlight the complexities involvedinthecategorisationofPSas'hazardous'andthefutilityofdemarcatingPSas 'householdwaste'.WhilelocalexamplesaredrawnfromtheNewZealandcontext,the keymessagesaretransferrabletomostpolicycontextsanddiversegeographicallocations.

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New Zealand currently manages its annually-generated 99,000 tonnes of e-waste via voluntary product stewardship schemes. Limited data is available to determine the success of this approach. This lack of data is cited as the logic preventing the declaration of e-waste as a priority product by the Minister for the Environment which would trigger the enforcement of mandatory product stewardship. This case study involved an online survey of 264 Whangarei District householders asking questions about e-waste creation and management, as well as analyses of local services, and local and national policy. It found that only 1.8% of the estimated e-waste created in the district is recycled by municipal services, with the 'cost to recycle' and 'a lack of knowledge' presenting barriers to engagement in these services. The 'lack of ability to repair/the cost to repair' was found to be the most significant driver for e-waste creation. The adoption of mandatory product stewardship for e-waste was recommended to ensure robust and transparent data collection, see recycling services become more accessible, and raise awareness of these services, thus reducing the value-action gap. Mandatory e-waste management would also impact product design to ensure affordable repair-ability, further supporting a circular economy for electronic goods.

The rate of plastic pollution entering the environment is accelerating with plastic production predicted to increase by 40% over the next decade. Plastic pollution transcends territorial boundaries on ocean and air currents. Large Ocean Small Island Developing States (LOSIDS) are on the frontline of the plastics crisis and associated climate change impacts. This desktop gap analysis identified potential strengths and weaknesses in national policy frameworks in 52 key documents relevant to plastic pollution in ten Pacific LOSIDS. The study found considerable gaps in the vertical and horizontal integration of plastic pollution-related policy, and a lack of access to current science-based evidence on plastic pollution including evidence related to human health impacts and microplastics. The study concludes that, even if Pacific LOSIDS were to include best practice management of plastic pollution across all policy frameworks, they could not prevent plastic pollution, and that a plastic pollution convention is needed.