Cites with Large Waste Production
According to SIPSN data, only 276 out of 514 cities and regencies in the country have provided waste reduction data. Waste generation is not evenly distributed in each region.
A number of metropolitan cities in Indonesia have become major contributors of waste. Their efforts to reduce waste are not commensurate with the waste they produce.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesia is still unable to meet the national waste reduction target of 30 percent by 2025. The efforts of a number of metropolitan cities in reducing waste have not been commensurate with the amount of the waste they produce.
Kompas has analyzed the most complete 2020 data on waste reduction for each regency and city, which has been uploaded to the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN). Nationwide, Indonesia has managed to reduce just 3.5 percent of the 33.3 million tons of waste it generated in 2020.
This figure is much smaller than the waste reduction target of 30 percent by 2025, as stipulated in Presidential Regulation No. 97/2017 on National Policies and Strategies for the Management of Household Waste and Types of Household Waste.
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Referring to that target, the volume of the waste reduced in 2020 should have reached 11.25 percent.
A number of methods have been used to reduce waste, such as through waste banks and compost centers at the community level, in addition to large-scale facilities such as intermediate treatment facilities (ITF), recycling centers, and integrated waste processing sites (TPST).
The low volume of nationwide waste reduction is partly due the large amount of waste generated by a number of metropolitan cities. The efforts of these large cities to reduce waste are still unbalances with the waste they generate.
As much as 56.7 percent of the nation’s waste is generated by just 58 cities and regencies, with the remainder generated by the 218 other regions.
According to SIPSN data, only 276 out of 514 cities and regencies in the country have provided waste reduction data. Waste generation is not evenly distributed in each region. As much as 56.7 percent of the nation’s waste is generated by just 58 cities and regencies, with the remainder generated by the 218 other regions.
These 58 cities also have large populations with large waste output. These cities also play a significant role in national waste management, including the waste reduction program.
Jakarta, the country’s largest waste-producing region, has only managed to reduce 1.7 percent of its waste output of 289.2 kilograms per person per year through waste banks, composting, and other waste management facilities.
Medan and Pasuruan
The head of the Jakarta Environment Office, Asep Kuswanto, said the latest data showed that waste reduction in Jakarta had reached 5 percent. However, he also acknowledged that the figure was still relatively low.
“(Reduction) of household waste was only around 5 percent up until last month. In terms of percentage, it's still small," Asep told Kompas on Friday (22/4/2022).
Residents throw their garbage in a temporary garbage dump in Oepura, Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday (12/12/2021). In that city, the location of the temporary garbage dumps is far apart.
Apart from Jakarta, the two other top waste-producing regions are Medan (271.1 kg per person per year) and Pasuruan regency (264.3 kg per person per year). In these two cities, the waste reduction is only around 1 percent.
Medan, for example, has only reduced 6,353 tons from the 622,208 tons of waste it produces per year. Likewise, Pasuruan has only reduced 653 tons from around 424,535 tons of waste it produces each year.
The SIPSN data also show that a number of metropolises have succeeded in reducing waste above the national average. For example, in 2020, Bandung managed to reduce its waste by 8 percent. In fact, the head of the Bandung Environment Office, Dudy Prayudi, said the latest data showed that the city’s waste reduction had reached 20 percent.
The efforts to reduce waste at the source are carried out in various ways. Among them are by establishing waste-free areas in 180 community units (RWs), 600 waste banks in urban villages, subdistricts, schools and offices, five reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) facilities, and an Organic Waste Processing Center.
In addition, there is also the Kang Pisman movement to help reduce, separate, and reuse waste. Kang Pisman is the local embodiment of the 3R program.
However, Dudy acknowledged that Bandung was still unable to meet the national target to reduce household waste by 30 percent. In the future, the Bandung municipal administration planned to establish more waste-free areas and waste banks in RWs.
“In each RW waste-free area, around 30 percent of the waste can be reduced. If this can be implemented in all RWs, the 30 percent reduction target can be achieved," said Dudy.
Another city that has reduced its waste above the national average is Tangerang. The SIPSN showed that Tangerang was able to reduce 4.4 percent of its waste in 2020. According to data provided by the Tangerang Environmental Office, its current waste reduction rate reaches 18 percent.
Waste reduction efforts have also been carried out by installing 50 waste banks and 8 3R waste management facilities. The Tangerang Environmental Office’s head of Pollution and Pollution Control, Yudi Pradana, said the city had not reached its waste reduction target.
"We have a waste reduction target of 20 percent. In 2022, we are optimistic that it will be achieved," said Yudi.
A driver from the Yogyakarta City Environment Agency is helping a garbage collector push a cart filled with trash to a car, at the Garbage Depot, Gedong Kiwo. The waste is then transported into trucks to be disposed of at the final waste disposal site or an integrated waste disposal site in Piyungan, Bantul, Yogyakarta.
In the future, according to Yudi, waste will be separated during transportation. Organic waste will go to ITFs, inorganic waste to the nearest waste bank, and the rest to a dump (TPA). The operation of a waste-fueled power plant is also one of Tangerang’s waste reduction solutions, especially at the Rawa Kucing dump.
To achieve the 30 percent target by 2025, waste management director Novrizal Tahar at the Environment and Forestry Ministry said local administrations should implement a number of waste reduction methods, not only by raising the number of garbage trucks, but also by creating a policy to change people's behavior.
“So, all of that must be done by the local administration. They should not only increase the waste handling capacity, but also [methods on] how to reduce it at the upstream. Efforts to change people’s habits and to increase community involvement must also be carried out together," said Novrizal.
Sorting
According to Novrizal, local administrations need to find a breakthrough that can reduce their waste management burden with a limited budget amid the government's target to reduce food waste by 30 percent by 2025.
A potential breakthrough could be in reducing waste in the upstream, such as by encouraging the people to sort their own household waste.
“At the upstream level, the effort will not require a lot of funds, for example by making policies with strict enforcement. This is part of modern waste management. The more waste that can be handled in the upstream level, the more modern it is. Just dumping waste at a disposal site is the primitive method," said Novrizal.
However, he said the government’s target to reduce waste by 30 percent in a relatively short period of time was too ambitious.
Food expert Budi Widianarko from Soegijapranata Catholic University shared the same view, that local administrations must implement multiple waste reduction methods and policies simultaneously. However, he said the government’s target to reduce waste by 30 percent in a relatively short period of time was too ambitious.
"If we rely only on improving public awareness in achieving the 30 percent [reduction] target, it will certainly take time. So, fighting food waste must be done through a 'total football' strategy. There must be education, legal enforcement and economic incentives," said Budi. (SPW/PUT/XNA)
(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)
