EPR is mandated by Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management, although it is currently voluntary, Nurofiq stated in Jakarta on Thursday.
"We are currently finalizing the regulations or instruments to make it mandatory," Nurofiq said.
"The mandatory requirement will be established this year, but the implementation will be gradual," he added.
In a meeting with business actors, including those involved in the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), yielded a positive response regarding EPR, as a crucial aspect of plastic waste management to achieve the government's target of 100 percent waste management by 2029, he said.
One highlight of the meeting was the need to make EPR mandatory, not only for companies from upstream to downstream. EPR implementation will be a key factor in realizing a circular economy in Indonesia, encouraging the values of reduction, reuse, and recycling.
Nurofiq stated that the gradual implementation of the EPR obligation is necessary because the process involves various parties, not only ministries/institutions, such as the Industry Ministry, but also other stakeholders.
The discussion also included developing a roadmap for plastic waste management and clarifying the role of industry in achieving these goals.
Nurofiq said his team will immediately submit the results to the Industry Minister for consideration.
“Since this is a formulation we have already discussed, next week we will finalize the NPAP formulation, which we will push as a policy or instrument in each ministry,” he added.
EPR obliges producers to be responsible for the plastic waste generated from their product packaging. This responsibility includes taking back product waste and designing multi-purpose packaging to ensure it does not end up in landfills.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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