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| Daru Setyorini, Executive Director of Ecoton, Looked on Pensively at the burning of plastic waste being used as fuel for tofu production in Tropodo, Sidoarjo Indonesia Despite its harmful impact on public Health |
"It is a consortium of a global network for policy advocacy and environmental health (International Pollutant Elimination Network/IPEN) together with the Arnika Association and Indonesian non-governmental organizations Nexus3 and Ecoton, which took samples of 6 eggs from Tropodo and Bangun to test for the presence of POPs compounds, including dioxins" Daru Setyorini Said. As Executive Director of Ecoton She Explain that The results of the laboratory tests presented in their report, "Plastic Waste Poisoning Indonesia's Food Chain," indicate that the dioxin levels in eggs from Tropodo (200 pg TEQ g-1 fat) are nearly equivalent to the highest dioxin levels found in eggs from Asia (248 pg TEQ g-1 fat), which occurred at the Bien Hoa site in Vietnam, a former United States military airbase where the land was contaminated by the historical use of Agent Orange.
For decades, the tofu industry in Sidoarjo, East Java, has been using plastic waste and similar materials as fuel in the production process. This activity was temporarily halted in 2022, but it did not last long.
The use of plastic waste and similar materials as fuel for the tofu industry has been carried out massively until now. This has the potential to pollute the environment, particularly air pollution, and trigger various diseases.
The quality of air contaminated by pollutants from the burning of plastic waste threatens the health of residents as it has the potential to trigger acute respiratory infections (ARI) and pneumonia. Furthermore, there has been research indicating the presence of dioxins and persistent organic pollutant compounds in free-range chicken eggs in Tropodo Village, Sidoarjo.
Black smoke was seen billowing from dozens of chimneys in Klagen Hamlet, Tropodo Village, Krian, on Sunday (11/5/2025) afternoon. Each chimney indicates industrial activity utilizing environmentally unfriendly fuel.
The activity originates from the tofu industry, specifically the production and frying of tofu. The Head of Tropodo Village, Haris Iswandi, stated that there are 51 business operators in his village. This small and medium enterprise (SME) has been established since 1980.
Of the 51 business units, they are able to employ more than 400 workers. Assuming one worker supports three family members, there are at least 1,200 individuals whose economic livelihoods depend on the tofu production and frying businesses.
"The majority of business actors use plastic waste, rubber waste, sponges, styrofoam, and the like as industrial fuel. The use of these fuels has been going on for decades," said Haris.
In 2022, there was a growing awareness among tofu industry players to switch to environmentally friendly fuel sources. Some transitioned to using LPG and firewood, while others alternated between firewood and plastic waste.
However, there are also those who are reluctant to switch and choose to continue using plastic waste as a production fuel. The main factor driving the use of plastic waste as a fuel for tofu production is its significantly lower price compared to firewood.
"The price difference is more than 50 percent. In addition, plastic waste is easier to obtain than wood and other environmentally friendly fuels," said Haris.
As a comparison, the price of a truckload of plastic waste and similar materials ranges from Rp 500,000 to Rp 600,000. Meanwhile, the price of mixed wood can exceed Rp 1 million per truck. The high cost of fuel undermines the competitiveness of tofu products produced by small and medium enterprises.
The Head of the Environment and Cleanliness Agency of Sidoarjo, Bahrul Amig, stated that the use of plastic waste as fuel for tofu industry has a detrimental impact on the environment and public health. One of the effects is the deterioration of air quality in the surrounding area.
Based on research findings, the concentration of PM 2.5 at three points within a 300-meter radius from the tofu industry chimney in Klagen Hamlet, Tropodo Village, has exceeded quality standards. The risk level of PM 2.5 exposure for the community residing within a radius of less than 300 meters reaches 19.8 (RQ > 1).
"This shows that exposure to PM 2.5 has reached a level that is very dangerous to public health," said Bahrul Amiq.
He added that the exceeding of ambient air quality standards in Tropodo Village was partly caused by air emissions resulting from tofu industry activities that use environmentally unfriendly fuels, namely sponges, rubber, styrofoam.
Based on the results of the study, the Sidoarjo Regency Government has issued Circular Letter Number 600/4/1341/438.5.11/2025 on May 2, 2025. The Circular contains a prohibition on the use of rubber waste, sponges, styrofoam, and the like as fuel for small and medium tofu industries in Tropodo Village, Krian.
Amiq said that tofu industry players are required to use environmentally friendly fuel and stop using rubber waste, sponges, styrofoam, and similar waste as fuel in production activities.
In addition, the Sidoarjo Environmental Agency will also monitor the tofu industry operators in Tropodo. If the use of such fuel is still found during the monitoring, strict action will be taken in accordance with regulations.
In accordance with Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning the Protection and Management of the Environment, Article 98 states that any person who intentionally commits acts that result in the exceeding of ambient air quality standards, water quality standards, seawater quality standards, or criteria for environmental damage, shall be punished with imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 10 years, as well as a fine of at least Rp 3 billion and a maximum of Rp 10 billion.
The policy of the Sidoarjo Regency Government is currently in the process of being socialized to the community, particularly to tofu industry players. Haris stated that the socialization was carried out by sending letters to tofu entrepreneurs on May 7, 2025.
"We appeal to all tofu SMEs in Tropodo Village not to use plastic, rubber, foam/sponge, styrofoam, and the like as fuel," said Haris.
The use of plastic waste and similar materials as fuel for tofu industry in Tropodo Village attracted public attention in 2019. The Sidoarjo Regency Government subsequently issued a ban on the use of plastic waste as fuel for small and medium enterprises in 2022.
However, entrepreneurs only comply with the ban for 3-6 months. After that, they revert to using plastic waste. Weak supervision, coupled with the difficulty of accessing alternative fuels, such as wood, leads business actors to resume the use of plastic waste.
Dioxin Findings
Based on Kompas' records, in 2019, a study abroad showed dioxin content and persistent organic pollutant compounds in free-range chicken eggs in Bangun Village, Mojokerto, and Tropodo Village, Sidoarjo.
The serious contamination is strongly suspected to originate from the smoke produced by the burning of plastic waste conducted by the tofu small and medium enterprises in Tropodo. The particles from the smoke of the plastic waste burning are believed to have contaminated the surrounding soil.
Most of these chemicals, known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), are fat-soluble and accumulate in eggs, which have a significant lipid content.
Therefore, cage-free chicken eggs can be used to reveal and measure the contamination of POPs. The chemical content can uncover exposure pathways through food, starting from the source of pollutants to the soil, and then to the eggs.
It is a consortium of a global network for policy advocacy and environmental health (International Pollutant Elimination Network/IPEN) together with the Arnika Association and Indonesian non-governmental organizations Nexus3 and Ecoton, which took samples of 6 eggs from Tropodo and Bangun to test for the presence of POPs compounds, including dioxins.
The results of the laboratory tests presented in their report, "Plastic Waste Poisoning Indonesia's Food Chain," indicate that the dioxin levels in eggs from Tropodo (200 pg TEQ g-1 fat) are nearly equivalent to the highest dioxin levels found in eggs from Asia (248 pg TEQ g-1 fat), which occurred at the Bien Hoa site in Vietnam, a former United States military airbase where the land was contaminated by the historical use of Agent Orange.
Meanwhile, eggs in Bangun Village have a dioxin content of 10.8 pg TEQ g-1 fat. Deputy for Engineering Sciences of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and member of the POPs Review Committee at the Stockholm Convention Agus Haryono said that the amount of content exceeding 200 pg TEQ g-1 fat far exceeds the maximum limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 2-4 pg TEQ g-1 fat per day. (Kompas.id, November 28, 2019).
The presence of POPs compounds that far exceed the maximum limits can enter the human body and cause various internal organ damage as well as increase the risk of cancer. This should receive serious attention from policymakers.
By : Runik Sri Astuti, 11 Mei 2025, 16:21
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