THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF IMPORTED WASTE RECYCLING FACTORIES WORSENS, NINA SENDS LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT

Recycling’s Environmental Impact and Health Threats Along the Brantas River Basin

(Left) Nina brought a suitcase filled with plastic waste sachets from Europe and the United States, which were exhibited at the Youth meeting during INC-5 in Busan in November 2024

"Recycling has been proven to have environmental impacts and pose health threats to us who live in the Brantas River Basin. Paper recycling factories discarge microplastic-contaminated waste into the Brantas River, which serves as a raw water source for PDAM (regional water utility companies), fish and shrimp farming ponds, agricultural irrigation, and fish habitats. Plastic fragments from Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States are used as fuel for tofu production and limestone processing, causing air pollution. The residue from burning plastic is dumped in open lands—it's truly heartbreaking," said Aeshnina Azzahra (18).

(Left) On Saturday, March 15, 2025, Nina sent a letter to the President and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, calling for environmental restoration due to the impact of imported waste in East Java.

These alarming findings have pushed Nina to "once again" send a letter to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (President, Minister of Environment, and Deputy Minister of Environment). "I urge them to take serious action in regulating the paper recycling industry. We, the youth—heirs of Indonesia’s Earth—have the right to live in a clean and healthy environment, free from plastic pollution. Young people have the right to information (as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, Article 17), the right to participation (Article 1, Clause 5 of the Human Rights Law), and the right to justice in handling plastic pollution in our country. We demand that the government involve young activists in drafting a clear roadmap for stopping plastic waste imports in Indonesia," said Nina, who is now awaiting a response from the President.

(Left) Limestone producers in Pagak District, Malang Regency (East Java), Indonesia, use imported plastic scrap waste from PT Ekamas Fortuna as fuel.

Since 2019, Nina—affectionately called Aeshnina Azzahra Aqilani—along with the River Warrior Community, has been advocating against imported waste entering Wringinanom District and other areas in the Brantas River Basin. The continuous flow of the river during both dry and rainy seasons has made the Brantas Basin an attractive location for numerous plastic and paper recycling factories. There are more than 20 paper recycling plants along the Brantas River. At the upstream area in Malang Regency, PT Ekamas Fortuna, a subsidiary of Sinarmas Group, operates alongside PT Tjiwi Kimia Tbk in Sidoarjo and Mojokerto. In the central region, Nganjuk Regency is home to PT Jaya Kertas, while downstream in Surabaya, PT Suparma Tbk is located just 1 km upstream from the intake of the Surabaya regional water utility company. These paper factories have had a poor relationship with the Brantas River.

(Left) Waste from paper recycling factories that use imported waste as raw material causes pollution due to the lack of supervision from the Ministry of Environment over liquid waste disposal.

"The paper mills in the Brantas River Basin have contributed to water pollution in the Brantas River, as some of them do not properly treat their waste before discharging it into the river," said Alaika. The Ecoton campaign coordinator further explained that the paper industry processes its waste during the day but releases untreated waste at night, even though downstream water utilities use the river as a raw water source.

Advocacy Against Plastic Waste Imports

(left) Nina's advocacy at the INC-5 forum in Busan, South Korea, raised awareness about the impact of microplastics on infant health.

River Warrior actively monitors and advocates against plastic and paper waste imports. We strongly support the government’s plan to halt plastic waste imports by January 2025 and tighten supervision of paper mills. As part of her advocacy efforts, Aeshnina attended the 5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, in November 2024. INC-5 is a global initiative for controlling plastic waste pollution. However, despite eight days of discussions, the negotiations progressed very slowly and became highly complex. Although many ambitious countries agreed to regulations addressing plastic pollution at its source, INC-5 failed to reach an agreement due to opposition from oil-producing nations unwilling to limit plastic production.

Relentless Letter-Writing Campaign

"My goal in writing to the government is to clarify the policy on stopping plastic waste imports. We need a clear roadmap, strict law enforcement, and tighter supervision to prevent plastic waste from leaking into the environment," Nina emphasized. Despite repeatedly sending letters without receiving a response, she remains persistent. "I will keep writing letters until Indonesia is free from imported waste," declared Nina.

Below are Nina's six demands for the Government of the Republic of Indonesia:

1. Evaluate the import licenses of all companies importing plastic and paper waste into Indonesia and take firm action against importers who fail to process imported waste safely and illegally dispose of waste residues.
2. Stop the use of plastic fragments as fuel. The burning of plastic waste for limestone production in Pagak, Malang, and tofu production in Tropodo, Sidoarjo, must be halted. The government must provide alternative energy solutions.
3. Increase supervision and inspection of imported waste containers at all international port customs offices in Indonesia to ensure that all imported waste meets regulatory requirements and does not contain contaminants exceeding 0.5%.
4. Improve the domestic waste collection system by requiring every village or subdistrict to implement source-segregated waste collection services and provide TPS3R (waste management facilities) in each village/subdistrict to process organic waste and collect recyclable materials. This system should supply the needs of the domestic recycling industry instead of relying on imports.
5. Shut down all illegal waste processing and storage sites as well as imported waste processing facilities that violate environmental regulations.
6. Hold waste-exporting countries accountable for cleaning up illegal waste disposal sites, based on data from UN Comtrade, Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics, and Bill of Lading records from waste-importing companies.