"Converting waste issues into opportunities and turning the intention into a real action are real manifestations of forest preservation,” he remarked in a statement on Monday.
One example of utilizing waste into public facility construction is the Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim Twin Mosques at Welas Asih Peacesantren (Islamic Boarding School) in Garut, West Java.
The twin mosques will be built using 12 tons of plastic waste and will save 8,000 trees.
In the statement, Antoni admired the institution's use of plastic waste, founded by Irfan Amalee in 2021.
"I received information that these twin mosques will be built using 12 tons of plastic waste. This figure alone is impressive, but what moves me as a minister is that the utilization of these 12 tons of plastic waste is estimated to be equivalent to saving 8,000 trees from being cut down," he stated.
The construction of this mosque embraces an environmentally friendly concept, using raw materials derived from organic and inorganic waste.
In addition to the 12 tons of plastic waste, the mosque's construction also reportedly used 24 tons of unhusked rice.
Antoni hopes that the twin mosques would inspire the development of other mosques and public facilities, turning waste challenges into opportunities and translating the intention to build into concrete steps to protect forests.
"I hope the Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim Twin Mosques will serve as an example, a prototype that inspires the construction of other mosques, churches, temples, monasteries, and other public buildings throughout Indonesia to adopt the same principles," he said.
Earlier, the government was also pushing for the utilization of plastic waste in asphalt mixture for road construction, as shown in the plastic asphalt showcase at Jimbaran Hub, Bali.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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