"The (environment) minister has issued a regulation to stop open dumping activities. This makes the role of waste banks crucial in waste reduction," the ministry's Director for Waste Reduction and Circular Economy Development, Agus Rusly, remarked here on Tuesday.
He also praised the launch of the Training of Trainers (ToT) module for waste banks, conducted by the PHINLA Program run by Divers Clean Action (DCA) and the humanitarian organization Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), to improve waste bank implementation.
"The Environment Ministry welcomes the ToT for waste banks, hoping it can be replicated so that these efforts can be more massive and structured," he remarked.
The PHINLA Program is a global initiative supported by the German government, aimed at developing livelihoods for people affected by poverty through a multi-sectoral waste management system, and will run until 2027.
In the same statement, National Director of WVI, Angelina Theodora, stated that her organization consistently strives to present and support programs prioritizing children.
"From the monitoring results, much of the waste on the beaches around Jakarta also originates from other countries. Through PHINLA, we collaborate with DCA, the Indonesian government, and other countries' governments as we believe that waste and environmental issues are universal," she affirmed.
Environmental engineering expert Rositayanti Hadisoebroto expressed hope that the module would help develop and sustain the operations of waste banks nationwide.
"The waste bank educational module can help revitalize waste banks that have been inactive," she noted.
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Translator: Prisca, Kenzu
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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