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Growing paper, plastic scrap imports aggravate waste problem
Indonesia’s growing paper and plastic scrap imports may aggravate the country’s waste problems, experts say, calling on the government to develop recycling industries as well as waste management infrastructure.
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Valuing waste: Workers sort plastic water bottles at a recycling factory in Tangerang, Banten, on Aug. 5, 2022. (AFP/Adek Berry )
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ndonesia is importing growing amounts of paper and plastic scrap but remains ill-prepared to process the material, which is aggravating the country’s already immense waste problem.
Paper scrap imports rose by 6 percent to 3.24 million tonnes last year, while plastic scrap imports skyrocketed by 30 percent to 252,472 tonnes, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show.
To deal with the incoming shipments in a sustainable way, industry players and experts have called on the government to develop recycling industries as well as waste management infrastructure.
Saut Marpaung, chairman of the Indonesia Waste Entrepreneurs Association (APSI), said imported scrap always contained worthless residues that could not be processed.
“The waste-processing industry is developing at a slower rate than the growth in the amount of waste in society,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that the main problem with waste mismanagement in Indonesia was the minuscule public funds available for building a proper waste management system.
“This is a task that must be solved immediately by the Prabowo-Gibran government,” he added with respect to the incoming administration of president-elect Prabowo Subianto and vice-president elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka set to assume office in October.
