R

awa Bebek community-based waste management treatment in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, received praise from the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday.

“There is nothing I can suggest. They should just keep doing what they are doing. I actually learned a lot from everybody here,” Michelle DePass, an assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of International Affairs, told reporters after visiting South Rawa Bebek neighborhood community No. 13 on Tuesday.

She walked around the densely populated neighborhood to see organic waste treatment under a toll road, where the residents made compost from household waste and recycled paper.

DePass admired recycled paper made from onions and the trunk of a banana tree.
“It’s brilliant. I liked [that initiative] most,” she said.

She also visited an inorganic waste treatment plant in the neighborhood, buying a bag and purses made of plastic trash, a recycling skill trained by Mercy Corps.      

Joko Sundiantoro, the spokesman of The Group of Under Toll Road Care (KMPKT) in Rawa Bebek, said previously the group only aimed to tidy up the slum space under the toll road near the neighborhood community.

“The action was praised by a number of non-profit organizations. The activities later developed into waste management initiatives,” he said during the visit.

Joko said the city administration had barely helped with the waste management effort in the neighborhood. The KMPKT, he said, did not get any real assistance from the city in terms of equipment and capacity building.

“We still need more modern tools to manage the waste. Right now, our tools are still very simple and manual,” he said.  

Joko recalled a time when the KMPKT and other organizations had not been involved in the area.  

“Our housing area was a slum. People threw garbage in temporary landfill spots, which attracted mosquitoes,” he said.

Jakarta produces about 6,000 tons of trash a day, which is transported to Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi and Cakung Cilincing landfill.

A lot of waste makes its way into the rivers and some is burned by residents despite the bylaw banning open burning.

According to an independent consultant to the city administration, the amount of waste produced by Jakarta grows by about 5 percent every year.

Besides mounting garbage, the city is also struggling with air pollution.

Experts believe that at least 70 percent of urban air pollution is the result of vehicle emissions.  

DePass said her agency would partner with the Jakarta adminis-tration to hold a study on air pollution and develop strategies for improvement.

She said during the first phase, the agency and the city would work on the emission inventory.

“The financial resources will be used in terms of equipment. We are also bringing experts to Jakarta to work in the technical capacity,” she said on Tuesday.

Mark S. Kasman, a senior advisor for Asia-Pacific Program at the agency, said the first investment of US$450,000 would be used for the study, expected to be conducted between 2010 and 2011.

“We can’t tell you what we’re going to do on the second phase until we figure out this analysis,” he said.