Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has commended the involvement of all parties that has driven substantial developments in the waste management sector in recent years.
"The problem of waste is not easy, but in three to four years, we see a variety of very significant developments in Indonesia," KLHK Waste Management Director Novrizal Tahar stated at the virtual National Waste Care Festival 2021 in Jakarta, Wednesday.
Tahar noted that private manufacturers had demonstrated commitment to fulfilling the role and responsibility of helping to tackle waste problems rooted in product packaging.
"Various parties have been making initiatives and innovations in solving the waste problem," he pointed out.
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The commitment supports the implementation of the Waste Reduction Road Map by the Manufacturer prepared by the government. One of its cruxes is to recall the manufacturer's packaging waste.
A major leap was observed in the business players’ commitment and responsibilities pertaining to waste management in the country. The move will offer a better climate and conditions in future as well as help to achieve the 100-percent waste management target by 2025.
Tahar also lauded the public's participation related to waste management that continues to grow rapidly, such as the increasing number of waste banks; waste processing sites that apply the reduce, reuse, recycle (TPS3R) policy; and social entrepreneurs engaged in the waste management sector.
"We are optimistic this would be an important aspect as one of the ecosystems in handling waste problems in Indonesia," he affirmed.
The government had earlier set a target of 100-percent proper waste management by 2025 constituting 30-percent waste reduction and 70-percent waste management.
However, the domestic recycling industry has the capacity to process just two million tons of plastic waste out of the 6.8 million tons of waste produced in the country, according to a government official.
"Only two million tons could be processed. More investment would be needed to process the remaining four million tons," R. Hendro Martono, head of the Center for Green Industry, Standardization and Industrial Service Policy, Industry Ministry, stated.
At a training session for journalists, organized online by the Greenaration Foundation, Jakarta, Monday, June 28, Martono further called for investment to reduce plastic waste dumped into oceans.
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