"With regard to marine waste, we can see awareness, policies, regulations, and implementation," Tsering noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
Tsering remarked that marine waste mostly came from Southeast Asia. She also realized that Indonesia and other countries in the region are working hard to tackle this problem.
Hence, Indonesia and the UN Environment plan to create a Regional Center for Capacity Initiative to Protect the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.
Tsering expressed high hope that the center of expertise would be able to play a role in preventing marine waste from land-based activities.
Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya had earlier stated that the establishment of such a center held significance, considering the fact that other countries also faced the problem of marine waste.
Proposal for the establishment of the Regional Center for Capacity Initiative was conveyed by Nurbaya to Tsering during their working visit to the mining site reclamation of PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara in West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.
Nurbaya said Indonesia has committed to reducing waste, especially plastic waste, by 70 percent by 2025. In addition, Indonesia has launched a National Action Plan to reduce plastic waste through various activities conducted by all stakeholders.
In addition to visiting West Sumbawa, the UN Environment representative traveled to Surabaya, East Java, to observe the Benowo waste processing facility managed by PT Sumber Organik.
This landfill processes 1,600 tons of waste per day, and some 60 percent of it is organic. The waste is then used for the Gas Power Plant project that can generate two megawatts of electricity per day.
After visiting the site, the group headed to Bungkul Park using the Surabaya Bus. Tsering was impressed by the innovation of the Surabaya Bus, as people could take a ride on the bus by paying with plastic drinking water bottles in an effort to reduce plastic waste.
The group also visited the Jambangan Recycling Center, a collaboration project between the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the Surabaya City Sanitation Office that uses the Black Soldier Fly technology.
Reporting by Yashinta Difa Pramudyani
Editing by Suharto
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Suharto
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