It is how the circular economy works.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Domestic plastic and paper waste hold vast potential to support Indonesia’s recycling industry, Director General of Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management (PSLB3) at the Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) Rosa Vivien Ratnawati stated.

"The production of domestic plastic and paper waste reaches 19.66 million tons per year. The data is obtained from the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN)," she stated at the 2021 End-of-Year Reflection monitored here on Wednesday.

However, Ratnawati noted that only 46 percent of the waste was recycled since waste sorting had not been conducted properly.

In fact, the demand for paper and plastic waste for the domestic recycling industry reached around 7.6 million tons per year.

Thus, remaining raw materials for the industry were imported, with the figure reaching 3.43 million tons per year according to the Industry Ministry’s data in 2019.

Hence, the government continues to encourage waste utilization to support the domestic industry and create a circular economy, an economic model that aims to use resources as long as possible.

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One of the attempts is the issuance of the Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation Number 75 of 2019 on Producers’ Roadmap for Waste Reduction by 30 percent by 2029.

In addition, it has banned the use of products and packaging that contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene by January 1, 2030.

To support the attempt, waste sorting must be conducted from the upstream sector, such as households.

Thus, the ministry has issued a circular to local governments to encourage the community to sort waste before it is taken to the waste bank.

"The waste bank will buy the waste from the community. Then, the waste is sorted and categorized before being bought by the recycling industry. It is how the circular economy works," the director general added.

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Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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