"I want the leaders of developed countries to stop exporting plastic waste to Indonesia"

Nina with 'Naruto' her lovely chicken

 Plastic waste from USA, Australia, German, United Kingdom, Canada and another developed countries are not being recycled through safe process in Indonesia. Most of plastic wastes are dumped and burnt. I feel sad, and angry. because people who pollute the environment will threaten their children and grandchildren life in the future.https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/07/13/why-do-you-always-export-your-waste-to-my-country-indonesian-pre-teen-writes-to-trump.html

Ahmad Guevara, a journalist from CeritaMundu interviewed Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani (12 years old) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-22/indonesian-activist-urges-scott-morrison-to-halt-waste-exports/11885848Middle school students protesting against the leaders of developed countries such as Australia, Germany, America and Canada who are known to export plastic waste to Indonesia. On the sidelines of large-scale social restrictions in the line of breaking the chain of distribution of covid19 at his home in Wringinanom Village city of Gresik Indonesia.

  

“Why you are concern on plastic issues?”

burned to get metal wire

Many Indonesian people do not know about the hazards of plastic, I learned to examine microplastics in river water and fish with a microscope. I want schools near the river to learn the toxic impact of plastics, they can examine microplastics in their rivers with microscope and protect the river from plastic pollution.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720320763 and I want to share my knowledge to other schools about the dangers of microplastics. As much as 80% fish sampled in Brantas River contained microplastics in their stomach. Plastic is made from oil and toxic additives, that microplastic also contained toxic chemical additives. Those additives can cause hormonal disorder to the living creatures, that could lead to infertility, miss carriage and tumors or cancer of reproductive organs. Microplastics could clog gills and respiratory track of fish in river and sea, and also its digestive track, that will kill fish in the long term. If people consume fish and water that are contaminated with microplastics, then microplastics will also accumulate in our body that will cause health disorder to us.

“What is the main environmental problem in your city?”

USA send more waste since china stop import waste

Main environmental problems occur in my area are imported plastic waste dumping near paper mills, river pollution, industrial waste dumping, burning trash, smoke from factories polluting the air, pollution of plastic waste in rivers and beaches. Our river polluted with microplastic.

 “Five month ago you send letter  to Donald Trump and Angela Marcel and you are protested about smuggled plastic waste - who is responsible for this, and why are they doing it?”

 Plastic waste was smuggled in waste paper bales that was imported by paper mills in East Java.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-30/australia-accused-of-smuggling-plastic-waste-to-indonesia/11054592?nw=0 Total weight of waste paper imports to East Java was increased by 35% in 2018 compared to 2017, that brought a lot more foreign plastic packaging wastes dumped in Bangun Village Mojokerto, the biggest dumping ground of imported plastic waste contamination from the paper mills. The plastic scraps were piled up at front yard of people’s houses in Bangun Village where most people there worked to sort plastic waste and collect valuable plastics to earn money. They sell valuable plastic for recycling industries. About 30% of plastic scraps from paper mills has low value, that it just being burnt in the dump sites or sell as cheap fuel for tofu factories in Sidoarjo. Paper mills and plastic recycling factories also release microplastics into rivers that could contaminate drinking water supplies, fish and crops consumed by people in Brantas River.

scrap plastic drying process

“Why smuggling can be happen?”

Those environmental problems are caused by lack of supervision by the government, lack of awareness of the community, and the lack of knowledge on importance of environmental protection. the government considers this problem is not serious.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP9JT_EE2NE

“ Why Indonesian governments are not prioritising this issue?”

Indonesian government do not prioritize environmental protection because 4 reason :

1. the pollution effects are long term effects and not directly impacted wider community or government officials. Only some local people suffers from pollution or sometimes fish died in the rivers due to industrial waste dumping, but those environmental warnings usually are not considered as serious problems.
2. Indonesia is developing country that we are focused on developing economy and building infrastructures. Too little money available for waste management or environmental pollution control.
3. Environmental protection cost is usually seen as burden to economy that will slow down economic development
4. Lack of awareness and low commitment of government leaders to strengthen environmental protection program and enforce environmental regulations effectively

“You had sent letter to the leaders of developed countries and  What is your hope?”

I want the leaders of developed countries to stop exporting plastic waste to Indonesia, because your plastic wastes are not being recycled through safe process in Indonesia. Most of plastic wastes are dumped and burnt, thus polluting our environment. Indonesia already has many waste problems, don't add more waste problems to my country. Develop countries should treat and recycle their own waste in their countries. I demand the government of exporting countries to clean up the piles of plastic scraps that are being dumped in Bangun Village.https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/plastic-waste-recycling-indonesia-bangun-environment-11688000

Since Oktober 2019 Indonesian government are tightening supervision at ports and importing factories to prevent dirty plastic waste imports. I demand Indonesian Government to stop mix paper waste import by paper mills that causing the plastic pollution problems in Brantas River, my drinking water source. In want Brantas River to be clean, healthy and beautiful again so I can play and swim in the river, like my father and mother did 35 years ago.https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2020/01/20/i-want-my-future-to-be-better-east-java-student-sends-letter-to-merkel-about-imported-trash.html