The founder of Ecoton (Ecological Observation and Wetland Conservation), Prigi Arisandi, also emphasized the importance of commitment from both local and central governments in enforcing regulations regarding environmental violations. According to Prigi, the practice of burning plastic waste by the tofu industry in Tropodo Village is not a new issue. In fact, there was already a mutual agreement in 2019, one of which was that the local government would assist in finding environmentally friendly fuel. "In addition, business actors also need funding support, for example, to convert their burning furnaces from plastic fuel to wood fuel. This requires a significant amount of funds," said Prigi. Not only that, Prigi also has not seen any commitment from the government to enforce regulations in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management clearly states that the process of burning waste that does not comply with technical standards falls under activities that violate the law.
There are four recommendations following the government's field verification and study regarding the burning of plastic waste by the tofu industry in Sidoarjo, East Java. The government has provided four technical recommendations to tofu industry entrepreneurs in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, to minimize environmental impacts. However, residents and environmental activists believe that concrete solutions are needed to address this issue, not just recommendations. Moreover, these activities violate regulations. The tofu industry in Tropodo Village, Krian District, Sidoarjo, is a labor-intensive small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. This industry, which has been established since 1940 or 85 years ago, now consists of 51 business units. As many as 95 percent of its operators are local residents. The industry, which consists of two types of businesses, namely tofu production and tofu frying, operates from 06:00 to 18:00 WIB. Every day, this small and medium enterprise (SME) is capable of absorbing 1.2 tons of soybeans as raw material for tofu production and employs approximately 20 people per SME.
The issue is that the tofu industry predominantly uses plastic waste and similar materials as fuel for production, citing the need to reduce production costs. Environmentally friendly fuel is expensive and difficult to obtain. The Head of the Environmental and Cleanliness Agency (DLHK) of Sidoarjo, Bahrul Amig, stated that the Environmental Control Center (Pusdal) of East Java conducted a field verification on April 28, 2025, regarding the use of plastic waste and similar materials by the tofu industry.
In addition, the Faculty of Public Health at Airlangga University Surabaya has also conducted a study on April 16, 2025, and the East Java Provincial Environmental Agency and the Sidoarjo Environmental Agency have also deployed their teams to Klagen Hamlet and Areng-Areng Hamlet in Tropodo Village. From the verification, data was obtained indicating that the burning of plastic waste produces smoke emitted through chimneys approximately 4.5 meters high at each tofu production and frying operation. The smoke plume is what contaminates the environment, such as water, air, and soil. The burning of plastic waste produces CO2, NOX, and organic carbon gases that pollute the air. In addition, burning also produces the chemical compound dioxin, which is harmful to the environment and human health. The burning of plastic waste in the form of dioxin compounds can enter the human body through various means, such as inhaling contaminated air or through the consumption of contaminated food.
The International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) found that chicken eggs in Tropodo Village are contaminated with dioxin toxins from plastic waste residues. Chickens foraging around the location are exposed to microplastics due to the plastic ash that settles in the surrounding factory area, leading to the contamination of the chicken eggs with these dioxin toxins.
Microplastics produced can serve as carriers of other hazardous substances. These compounds enter the human environment through environmental compartments and through the food chain, potentially affecting an individual's health, such as damaging the respiratory system, triggering cancer, causing immune system disorders, neurological issues, hormonal disruptions, reproductive system problems, and also resulting in fetal defects. According to Bahrul Amig, Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management clearly states that the process of waste incineration that does not comply with technical standards falls under activities that violate the law. "Article 29 Paragraph 1 letter g states that everyone is prohibited from burning waste that does not comply with the technical requirements for waste management. This law emphasizes that everyone is obligated to manage household waste in an environmentally conscious manner," said Amig.
Based on these provisions, regional and central governments need to implement strict regulations regarding emission standards and fuel for the tofu industry. They should also create policies that mandate the use of low-emission fuels. Amig explained that there are four technical recommendations, namely the increase in chimney height, air filtration systems, emission testing, and the transition to environmentally friendly fuels. It is necessary to increase the height of the chimney in accordance with the standards, with a size of 9-10 meters, to minimize the spread of smoke to the surrounding area.
In addition, it is also necessary to install an air filtration system (particulate catcher) on the chimney to help filter pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere. Business actors are also required to conduct periodic emission tests and create sampling holes in accordance with applicable regulations. "Furthermore, the use of biomass or renewable energy sources can be a better alternative compared to plastic waste that causes air pollution," said Amig.
Need Assitance
The Head of Tropodo Village, Haris Iswandi, stated that tofu industry players have considered abandoning the use of plastic waste as fuel. However, the number of those who have switched to wood fuel is still limited or remains a minority.
The main consideration is that the production cost of tofu and the frying of tofu is significantly cheaper when using plastic waste. The price difference is more than 50 percent. In addition, there are also third parties that supply plastic waste, making it easily accessible.
"To truly eliminate plastic waste, government intervention is needed. They require more concrete policies and stricter regulations," said Haris.
Local governments are expected to provide concrete solutions regarding the provision of environmentally friendly alternative fuels. In addition, there should also be support for small and medium enterprises in the tofu industry so that they can reduce production costs, allowing their products to remain competitive in the market. The Tropodo Village Government, Haris continued, desires a strong commitment from the Sidoarjo Regency Government, the East Java Provincial Government, and the central government to encourage tofu industry players to switch to environmentally friendly fuel. Business operators cannot be left to fend for themselves; they require assistance, facilitation, and financial support. Of the 51 tofu industry players, several entrepreneurs have indeed switched to using environmentally friendly fuels such as wood. However, local governments have not taken firm action against industry players who continue to use plastic waste. According to Prigi, technical recommendations such as increasing the height of smoke stacks, air filtration systems, and emission testing are not solutions. The reason is that burning plastic waste violates legal regulations and has serious impacts on environmental quality and public health.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar