Government and private sector have an important role in waste processing

Jakarta Environment (LH) Agency has signed an agreement between PT Unilever Indonesia and PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia (SBI) Tbk, to utilize Landfill Mining at Bantargebang Landfill into a renewable energy source.

According to Andono Warih, Agency Head of Jakarta LH, it was a proactive step and a concrete effort to support waste management.

"Government and private sector have an important role in waste processing," he expressed, Wednesday (9/30).

Through Landfill Mining, he explained, waste would be processed into materials that could be reused as refuse derived fuel (RDF), which was a substitute for coal in the cement industry.

"Hopefully it is able to stimulate similar collaborations in the future," he explained.

Integrated Waste Management Unit (UPST) Head Asep Kuswanto added that the pilot project for mining waste to become RDF at Bantargebang had started last year.

The source of the waste used was from Zone IV, which was more than ten years old.

"The converting waste process into fuel includes excavation and sifting at the Bantargebang facility and then sent to the PT SBI factory site be chopped and dried to produce quality RDF," he said.

He went on to say that it was expected to produce around 1,000 tons/month of RDF, of which 80-90 percent was plastic waste.

Supply Chain PT Unilever Indonesia Director Rizki Raksanugraha said that the waste problem, especially plastic waste, was a complicated issue that required attention and cooperation across sectors, including the private sector. He believed that plastic waste had its place in the economy, but not in the environment.

"If plastic waste is managed properly, it can be a useful resource. This collaborative is very important, not only to create a clean environment, but also to provide economic benefits," he stated.