By Imam Hanafi
Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - The community empowered (Desa Binaan) by the cement industry PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa, in Langadai Village, Subdistrict Kelumpang Hilir, Kotabaru District, now achieve a revenue of Rp10 million from garbage bank.
"Not up to three months, our group has produced Rp10 million from selling junk," said the manager of the trash bank in the Langadai Village, Nurjanah, here on Tuesday.
Every weekend, collector from Batulicin, Tanah Bumbu, buys garbage that has been collected by members of the community group. "In a week , our group could collect one ton of waste segregated according to its kind, " she said.
Vice Regent Kotabaru Rudy Suryana giving appreciation to community groups who are already managing waste banks to generate rupiah. Rudy hopes, activities undertaken by Langadai community groups can be replicated by other communities. Here housewives in Langadai can turn trash into rupiahs.
Vice Regent also encourage community groups whose members consist of women , the capability to process plastic waste into economically valuable goods, such as handbags, accessories, clothing, and other goods.
Previously, SSECSR Dept. Head PT ITP Tarjun, Teguh Iman Basuki said the company has facilitated community groups in the desa binaan for waste management training. Villagers empowered by PT Indocement sent to Surabaya and Bogor to learn to manage the waste into creative crafts.
He hoped that the people who have had the opportunity to learn and be trained in Surabaya and Bogor can be a pioneer for people to be more creative in utilizing waste into worth of goods. They are also expected to be an example to live clean and able to manage their environment properly.