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US, Indonesia collaborate on tackling marine pollution
A blanket of trash: Garbage floating on the water in the Jakarta Bay
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A blanket of trash: Garbage floating on the water in the Jakarta Bay. (Tempo.co) (Tempo.co)
A blanket of trash: Garbage floating on the water in the Jakarta Bay. (Tempo.co)
US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake said on Wednesday that the US government had recently begun working together with the city of Bandung in a waste-to-energy project to recycle plastic waste and turn it into energy.
'This is an important issue, because more and more waste, particularly plastic waste, is going into the oceans. A recent estimate said that 250 million metric tons of plastic will be going into the oceans by the year of 2025,' Blake told reporters during an event at the online American cultural center @america, titled 'Save our oceans from pollution'.
He said the US-supported project would focus on recycling plastic waste found in the headwaters of the Ciliwung River.
Blake said that location was chosen to reduce the volume of plastic waste from the river that would eventually flow into the Jakarta Bay. The project would also provide income for the people in Bandung taking plastic waste out of the water, he continued.
The ambassador added that a feasibility study had been conducted for the project, which was currently in a trial period and was projected to officially launch in 2016.
Blake also said that the American Red Cross was pioneering a project in Lombok to recycle plastic and organic waste that would also provide income for the people and keep waste out of the waterways.
A recent study from the University of Georgia found Indonesia to be the second biggest marine pollutant in the world, after China. In 2010, Indonesia produced 3.2 million tons of plastic waste with 1.29 million tons of that ending up in the ocean, the study says.
Bali Wastu Lestari Foundation founder Ni Wayan Riawati said the organization had successfully recycled 897.907 kilograms of waste on the island this year, up from 394.261 kg in 2014.
Gili Eco Trust head Delphine Robbe urged the government to implement laws on waste management, such as creating tax incentives for companies to reduce production of plastic packaging and ban the use of plastic bags at convenience stores.
'One of the biggest challenges is that there is no real law enforcement in waste management by the government,' said Delphine. (ebf)
