Indonesia continues to push for the development of a circular economy as one of the means to reduce burden on the environment, according to an official of the Environment and Forestry Ministry.
During the 2022 National Waste Care Festival here on Tuesday, the Ministry’s Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management (PSLB3) Director General Rosa Vivien Ratnawati stated that a change in mindset toward waste is necessary.
Waste should not be seen as something to be thrown away, but rather, something that can be used, Ratnawati noted.
In addition, circular economy is not just about utilizing waste to become an economic source.
The implementation of a circular economy should also begin from the upstream, with the producers creating products from reusable materials.
Waste management is no longer being conducted with the pattern of gather, collect, and discard since Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management has encouraged the utilization paradigm.
The paradigm encourages the application of Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle (3R) principles towards promotion of a circular economy to this day.
“It is interesting while talking about our circular economy now. The world already sees in a large concept,” Ratnawati remarked.
Ratnawati expressed hope that through the event, all parties would be able to see the developments pertaining to this waste management pattern and good practices that have been implemented and continue to be applied.
During the event, Ratnawati also urged all parties to sort their waste in their homes to facilitate and support waste utilization for recycled industry materials.
Circular economy approaches to encourage waste utilization requires waste material that is not mixed with other types, she explained.
Sorting waste from home will produce quality recycled material because it is not mixed with other types of trash, she stated.
Source: Antara News