4 facts about Indonesia's plastic waste crisis
1. Overloaded landfills,
most waste lacks land . 69% of Indonesian waste
ends up in landfills (sustainable waste Indonesia) as much as 36 million
tons/year piled up in landfills. In
2023-2024, landfills in big cities in Java such as Bandung, Yogyakarta and
Malang closed their landfills because they used the Open Dumping system,
or a waste management system by dumping waste in open areas without
covering and securing. This system has been prohibited in accordance with Law
Number 18 of 2008 Articles 44 and 45. However, in fact there are still 306 out
of 550 landfills that still implement the open dumping system and are
now being urged by the government to immediately close the landfills until the
end of 2025.
2. Plastic Waste Fills the
Landfill (Empty Recycling) . Only 10% of plastic
waste is managed, 90% of plastic waste ends up in landfills and is dumped into
environmental media ( rivers, seas, air
and buried in the ground ). Plastic waste is the second largest type of
waste (18%) thrown away by Indonesians, the most common type of waste is food
waste (41%). Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) states that plastic
waste in Indonesia reaches 64 million tons/year. As much as 3.2 million tons of
this waste is waste that is dumped into the sea. Of the total waste produced,
only 40.09% is dumped into the final disposal site (TPA), 35.49% is burned,
1.61% is recycled, 7.54 is buried and 15.2% is dumped into the road, river, and
other land.
3. 72% of Indonesian
people do not care about the waste problem (BPS
2024) even though there have been many Humanitarian Tragedies due to
Mismanagement of Waste, 2/21/2005 there was a landslide of garbage piles and a
methane gas explosion at the Leuwigajah landfill which claimed 143 lives and
destroyed 2 villages, Suwung Landfill Fire 2019 and 2020, air pollution
disrupts residential areas, fires due to methane gas accumulation. Bantargebang
Landfill Fire (2020) increased air pollution in Depok and Bogor Raya. Cipeucang
Landfill Landslide which covered the river body
4. Indonesia
is the third largest contributor of plastic waste in the world after India and
Nigeria. Indonesians are currently the world's largest consumers of
microplastics. 15 grams/month.
Composition
of Waste in Indonesia
Based on data from the National Waste Management Information System
(SIPSN) in 2024, food waste is the
highest waste composition in Indonesia with a percentage reaching 39.22%,
followed by plastic waste reaching 19.76%. In East Java, the proportion of food
waste is even higher, at 46.93%, with Surabaya being the 5th largest
contributor to food waste at the provincial level with a percentage of 55.48%,
and also the 3rd largest contributor of plastic waste in East Java with a
percentage of 22.01%. This phenomenon shows an urgent need to change the way we
manage waste, especially in reducing
food waste and plastic use .
The
Serious Threat of Plastic Waste
Plastic
waste contains chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides.
which can contaminate water and poison and damage the habitat of living things.
The entry of plastic and microplastics into this food chain pattern is not only
detrimental to aquatic animals, but also to humans including us who eat them.
The entry of waste into the bodies of animals and humans will cause
inflammation to organ damage.
Research
has proven that microplastics are found in 15 human organs. in the human body
including blood, heart, kidneys, lungs, brain, placenta, breast milk, blood
vessels and feces. Even babies in the womb have been exposed to microplastics
from food and drinks consumed by their mothers. Microplastics are dangerous for
the human body because they can reduce brain function, affect growth rates, the
reproductive system and inhibit enzyme production in the body. Research by the
University of Indonesia and Greenpeace states that microplastics can reduce
cognitive function of the brain. Individuals who are exposed to a lot of
microplastics have a 36 times higher risk of impaired cognitive function.
Research
by ECOTON found microplastic particles in human feces. The transfer of
microplastics from food and drinks consumed by humans to the digestive tract
shows that plastic cannot be broken down, even after a long process. Enzymes in
the human digestive tract also cannot break it down. Microplastics have become
rampant everywhere, and have become part of human life. It could be that it is
no longer wealth, land, rice fields that we inherit, but plastic as a legacy
for our children and grandchildren towards "Indonesia Lemas 2050".
Ramadhan is here, it's time to fast from
single-use plastic
The month of Ramadan is a blessed moment for Muslims to increase their
worship, do good deeds, and increase empathy for others. In addition, this holy
month also provides an opportunity to preserve the environment more consciously
and responsibly. Unfortunately, during the month of Ramadan, especially when breaking
the fast, the use of single-use plastics such as plastic bags, plastic straws,
and food packaging tends to increase. This can be a big problem for the
environment, because plastic cannot be decomposed and has the potential to
pollute the environment.
Plastic fasting is
one way to reduce or stop the use of single-use plastic which is a positive
step to reduce environmental pollution. Habits such as bringing tumblers,
reusable food containers, and cloth bags can have a significant impact. In
addition to being beneficial for the environment, this action also inspires
others. Ramadan is a momentum for small changes that have a big impact, not
only maintaining the body, but also preserving the earth for future
generations.
“
Waste is a problem in every line of life.
Various problems to tragedies have not been resolved. Waste continues to
increase more and more. Of course, we as Gen Z, the young generation who are
expected to be agents of change must
act decisively to reduce waste, especially plastic. We don't want this to be
just a celebration, there must be real action. Gen Z must start reducing
plastic by implementing it in this month of Ramadan by fasting from single-use
plastic ?” said Khansa, a Marine Science student at Brawijaya University.
For
this reason, we encourage the community and the government to:
1.
Prevent
the growth of waste by using sufficient containers
The
community must contribute to preventing waste by no longer using single-use
products, containers and packaging, especially single-use plastics such as
plastic straws, plastic shopping bags, plastic bottles and styrofoam.
2.
Shopping
Without Packaging and Prioritizing Refills
People should choose
products sold without packaging, such as refill products , and bring
their own containers when shopping.
3.
Sort
Waste from Home,
The
community can contribute to waste management by sorting waste at home by
separating types of waste into plastic, paper, metal and glass.
4.
Finish
the Food
Data
shows that food waste is the main component of waste in Indonesia, therefore,
cultivate the habit of taking just enough food and finishing it without leaving
any leftovers.
5.
Compost
Food Scraps
Leftover
food such as unfinished vegetable scraps can be processed by composting the
leftover food using a bucket, pottery, composter, biopore infiltration hole or
processed into eco enzymes.
6. Stop
production of virgin plastic by 2030
7. Encourage
industry to provide products with refill/reuse systems
8. Supporting
the implementation of standard quality standards for microplastic contamination
in food and water/environment
9. Industry
transparency on chemical content and microplastic risks in packaging products
10. Improvement
of waste collection, sorting and management systems at the local level
Contact person: 085704973433
(Khansa)
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