Tofu Industry in Sidoarjo Agrees to Stop Burning Plastic Waste and B3 Waste

 

The agreement was made to reduce environmental pollution due to smoke from burning waste which has a serious impact on public health

Caption foto : The tofu industry players in Tropodo Village, Krian, Sidoarjo, signed an agreement to no longer use plastic waste and hazardous toxic materials as production fuel on Wednesday (14/5/2025) evening.

SIDOARJO, KOMPAS - Small and medium industry players in Tropodo Village, Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, have agreed to stop using plastic waste and hazardous and toxic materials as production fuel. This step is taken to reduce environmental pollution that has serious impacts on public health. The commitment of the industry players is expressed in the signing of an agreement to comply with regulations by no longer using plastic waste as fuel and hazardous toxic materials or B3 such as rubber, styrofoam, shoe soles, sandals, and leather. The agreement was signed at the Tropodo Village Hall on Wednesday evening (15/5/2025). The event was attended by dozens of industry players involved in tofu production and tofu frying businesses. Also present were the Head of Tropodo Village Haris Iswandi, the Regional Secretary of Sidoarjo Regency Feny Apridawati, the Head of the Sidoarjo Environment and Cleanliness Office Bahrul Amig, as well as representatives from the Sidoarjo Police Resort.

"Tofu entrepreneurs are given a week to change, meaning they are no longer allowed to use hazardous waste as fuel for tofu production. Business operators must comply with the applicable regulations," said Feny.

Feny added that the Sidoarjo Regency Government has developed short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies to address the burning of plastic waste and hazardous materials in Tropodo Village. She cited that in the short and medium term, technological engineering will be implemented to reduce the harmful substances contained in the smoke produced from burning.

The technology will be applied to incinerators and chimneys. The smoke emitted is what pollutes the environment, including water, air, and soil. The burning of plastic waste produces CO2, NOX, and organic carbon gases that contaminate the air.

In the long term, the district government plans to build a gas network to the tofu industry centers so that industry players can switch to environmentally friendly energy. The cost of constructing the gas network is estimated to exceed Rp 20 billion.

Meanwhile, Bahrul Amig stated that after the signing of the agreement, his party immediately requested tofu entrepreneurs to clean up hazardous waste from their business locations. The waste was requested to be collected so that it could be transported to the Griyo Mulyo Sidoarjo Final Processing Site (TPA). For the time being, we are preparing 7 truck units to transport hazardous waste belonging to small and medium-sized tofu industry players. Subsequently, the waste will be disposed of at the landfill," said Amig.

Haris added that his side welcomes the coordination regarding pollution caused by the use of environmentally unfriendly fuels in their village. They hope that the agreement will be adhered to, resulting in positive impacts for the environment of Tropodo Village.

"At least it reduces the thick black smoke produced from burning plastic waste and other toxic hazardous materials," said Haris.

The tofu industry in Tropodo Village, Sidoarjo Regency, is a labor-intensive small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. This industry, which has been in existence since 1940 or 85 years ago, now comprises 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 absorbs 1.2 tons of soybeans as raw material and employs approximately 20 people for each business unit.

So far, tofu industry players in Tropodo Village generally use plastic waste and hazardous toxic materials, such as rubber, as fuel for production. Entrepreneurs argue that they want to reduce production costs because the price of plastic waste is much cheaper compared to environmentally friendly fuels such as wood. In addition, plastic waste is more easily obtained due to the presence of suppliers in the village.

The burning of plastic waste and hazardous materials also produces dioxin chemical compounds that are harmful to the environment and human health. Dioxins from the burning of plastic waste can enter the human body through various means, such as through inhaled 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 plastic ash falling in the vicinity of the factory, leading to the contamination of the eggs with these dioxin toxins.

Microplastics produced can serve as carriers for 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 disorders in the immune, nervous, hormonal, and reproductive systems, as well as resulting in fetal defects.

Source : Source : https://www.kompas.id/artikel/en-industri-tahu-di-sidoarjo-sepakat-hentikan-pembakaran-sampah-plastik-dan-limbah-b3?open_from=Artikel_Terkait

Writer:

Runik Sri Astuti

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Editor:

Harry Susilo

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Galih Rudanto