Jakarta (ANTARA) – The domestic recycling industry has the capacity to process just two million tons of plastic waste out of the 6.8 million tons of waste produced in the country, a government official has said.
“Only two million tons could be processed, it would need more investment to process the remaining four million tons,” according to R Hendro Martono, head of the Center for Green Industry, Standardization and Industrial Service Policy, Industry Ministry.
Investment would also be needed to reduce plastic waste dumped into the ocean, he said during a training session for journalists, organized online by the Greenaration Foundation here on Monday.
The recycling industry in Indonesia comprises one thousand companies, with total investment amounting to 5.15 trillion Indonesian rupiahs, he disclosed.
Indonesia’s recycling industry still has the potential to absorb up to 3.3 million of the workforce, Martono said.
In addition to plastic waste, the country has the potential to develop paper, textile, iron and steel waste recycling, he observed.
Martono admitted there are challenges to improving waste management and implementing a circular economy. “First, (building) consumers’ awareness to use consumption goods wisely, to dump waste or garbage wisely,” he pointed out.
Another challenge is implementing an integrated system for waste sorting, collection, and transportation for recycling, he added.
Next is issuing of licenses for processing toxic waste and using it as material substitution or energy, he said.
The fourth challenge is improving the system of waste collection by the informal sector to ensure workers’ as well as environmental safety, he noted.
The fifth challenge is insufficient supply of feasible waste for recycling raw material, he pointed out. “Hence, we still need to import non-toxic waste in scrap,” he said.
Another problem is the lack of accurate data on waste, including on volume and location, as it is still being recorded partially, he added.
The Industry Ministry has initiated some programs to improve the management of industrial as well as domestic waste.
It is encouraging the upstream industry to produce polymer materials that can be recycled, supporting the development of the recycling industry, and the development of waste to energy.
“To accelerate waste processing in the green industry development, we need incentives, hence, many industries would be encouraged to participate. Currently, the ministry is formulating a mechanism to facilitate incentives for green industry,” Martono said.
Source: Antara News