Waste management is not solely the government’s responsibility; every member of society has an equal obligation. If citizens do not sort and manage waste, landfills will eventually reach capacity, leading to garbage piling up and spreading everywhere.
This situation arises due to the public’s lack of readiness to sort and process household waste.
The former Regent of Banyumas, Central Java, H. Achmad Husein, shared his success story in managing waste in the Banyumas Regency. According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Banyumas ranks among the best regencies in waste management, with only 9% of waste reaching landfills.
“Honestly, the waste management innovations in Banyumas emerged because the local landfill managed by the local government was closed by residents,” Husein explained during a talk show titled “Building Sustainable Ecosystem for Future Generations.”
This event took place at the UGM Innovation and Creativity Center (GIK UGM) on Monday (Oct. 14) in celebration of World Habitat Day and World Cities Day 2024.
Husein described how the success of waste management in Banyumas is due to the Banyumas Regency Government’s guarantee of acting as an off-taker for waste-derived products produced by the community.
This end-to-end waste management model involves community participation in sorting and selling waste to the local government through the Banyumas Online Waste app (Salinmas) and the Jeknyong delivery service.
“Waste is all about perception. I convinced the community that waste is a raw material that can generate revenue when given a technological touch,” Husein stated.
He believes advanced recycling technology can yield useful products. In Banyumas, sorted plastic waste is fully processed, producing Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), paving stones, roofing tiles, and bricks.
Meanwhile, organic waste is transformed into maggot feed and compost fertilizer. Husein expressed pride in the independent community-based waste management initiatives.
“The turnover for these Community Self-Help Groups is quite substantial, sourced from customer contributions and the sale of processed waste products, including recyclables,” he concluded.
Yuris Sarifudin, an alumnus of the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), also shared his experience addressing waste management issues in Yogyakarta. His concern stemmed from the thousands of tons of waste generated daily in Yogyakarta, with suboptimal processing.
Sarifudin has converted household waste into raw industrial materials, mainly focusing on the potential of plastic waste as a sturdy and sustainable building material.
“The waste processing here is highly complex due to the reluctance of the community to sort waste properly,” he explained.
Through PT Daur Ulang Indonesia, Sarifudin collaborates with Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (TPS3R) Waste Processing Sites in various regions to collect and sort waste. The waste is then processed using mechanical equipment to obtain the raw materials needed to create industrial materials.
“Most of it is plastic waste. We shred, melt, and mold it into blocks or boards that can substitute for wood,” said the UGM Architecture graduate.
Dr. Wiratni, a UGM Department of Chemical Engineering lecturer, moderated the talk show, emphasizing that waste issues in Indonesia are multidimensional, requiring cooperation across various sectors.
Of course, this responsibility does not rest solely on the government but also requires equal commitment from all members of society.
“Even community initiatives at the smallest level can be a solution to addressing waste management issues,” she concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani