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Circular economy the right approach to manage plastic waste
The circular economy can bring Indonesia toward more sustainable development that averts the excessive use of natural resources. And yet, a clearer agenda is highly needed to provide an opportunity for all parties to play their role under the highly expected clear and assertive regulation.
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Circular economy ilustration. (Shutterstock/BsWei)
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ccording to the Environment and Forestry Ministry, 64 million tons of waste is generated per year across the archipelago, of which 15 percent is plastic. About 60 percent of the waste generation is transported to the final disposal site (TPA) and 10 percent is recycled. The remaining 30 percent is dumped into the environment without control.
The strategic step that Indonesia has taken is stipulated in Presidential Regulation No. 97/2017 on the national policy and strategy for the management of household and other kinds of waste.
In achieving the target, the active role of the city/regency administrations is strongly demanded. The principle of managing waste known as reduce, reuse and recycle (3R) is crucial to slash the waste, with the target set at 30 percent in 2025.
The 3R activities have been claimed to have adopted the circular economy (CE) approach.
Next, the local administrations are responsible for handling and transporting the waste to TPA, with the target set at 70 percent.
Through Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 75/2019 on the road map of waste reduction by producers, the government has followed up the mandate enshrined in Law No. 18/2008 on waste management, which obliges producers to manage their postconsumer waste.
Local administrations, through regional bylaws or regulations, can ban single-use packaging for food and beverage service sectors and retailers.
