On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Article 33 Indonesia held a Development Study Forum with the theme "Institutional Reform at Source: The Road to 100% Waste Services.” This event was held online via the Zoom platform from 15.30 to 17.30 WIB, attended by more than 100 participants. This forum was held in Indonesian and equipped with a Sign Language Interpreter.
The forum features five keynote speakers and one moderator:
- Novrizal Tahar – Director of Waste Management, Directorate General of PSLB3, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
- Arky Gilang Wahab – CEO, PT Greenposa Adika Nusa
- Ria Ismaria – Article 33 Indonesia
- Dewi Chomistriana – Secretary General, Indonesian Association of Environmental Health and Engineering Experts (IATPI).
Moderator: Aufa Sirait, Article 33 Indonesia
The discussion was opened with remarks from Santoso as Executive Director of Article 33 Indonesia, and Lydia Napitupulu as Secretary of the Development Study Forum. Furthermore, the keynote speech was given by Novrizal Tahar, Director of Waste Management, Directorate General of PSLB3, Ministry of Environment and Forestry who explained Indonesia's commitment to reducing emissions through the waste sector and the current condition of waste management in Indonesia.
The first session started by English as keynote speech which discusses Indonesia's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the waste and garbage sector. He explained Indonesia's target to reduce 40 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2060, with a focus on four main waste subsectors: domestic solid waste, domestic liquid waste, industrial solid waste, and industrial liquid waste. Novrizal also highlighted the importance of transitioning from landfill systems to more environmentally friendly technologies such as waste-to-energy, RDF, and composting, as well as efforts to capture methane gas produced from landfills.
Furthermore, Novrizal Tahar revealed that waste management currently only reaches 63%, far from the target of 100% in 2025. He proposed an increase in the waste management budget of at least 3% from the APBD and the importance of industrializing waste management to encourage professionalism in this sector. In addition, he emphasized the need for structural changes to make waste management a basic service in the law, as well as encouraging a waste management system based on a circular economy and modern technology.
The event continued with a video showing the condition of waste management in Indonesia, highlighting the high waste generation, landfill land crisis, and the need for institutional reform. On average, one person in Indonesia produces 0.5–0.7 kg of waste per day, with the total national waste reaching 175,000 tons per day. Around 40% of this waste is organic, which has the potential to be recycled. However, 62% of waste ends up in landfills, and the other 38% is not managed properly. To address this, clear regulations, adequate funding, and cooperation between the government, community, and private sector are needed to achieve integrated and sustainable waste management solutions.
Next session, Ria Ismaria from Article 33 Indonesia presented research conducted by their institution related to waste management in Bandung City entitled “Institutional Scheme of Waste Management from Source in Bandung City”. Based on the findings of this study, Bandung City produces 1,600 tons of waste per day, but the waste management implemented still uses an unsustainable collect-transport-dispose system. Waste emergencies often occur due to piles of organic waste that produce methane gas and have the potential to trigger fires. Although there has been a separation of the roles of regulators and operators through the UPTD BLUD, management at the household level still depends on community volunteerism, which results in uneven access to services and unsorted waste.
Ria emphasized the importance of institutional reform, including increasing the number of UPTD BLUD and delegating waste management authority to the regional level to increase efficiency. To that end, it is necessary to divide the UPTD BLUD into several units, ensure that waste is sorted from its source, and optimize service fee payments to reduce the existence of free riders.
The next session was the Talkshow and Discussion session which began with questions raised by the Moderator regarding waste management in Banyumas Regency. Arky Gilang Wahab explained about waste management in Banyumas Regency, which has reached 90% in waste collection services, with the main role of Community Self-Help Groups (KSM). There are 39 TPST/PDU managed by the government and more than 100 KSM in all villages. The Environmental Service (DLH) focuses on law enforcement and residue management in TPA, while the private sector, such as Greenation, is involved in processing organic waste into fertilizer or animal feed. However, the main challenges include overlapping regulations, competition between KSMs, and KSM's dependence on the government which complicates the implementation of waste sorting policies.
Although the private sector is supportive, their role is less supported by the government due to the dominance of KSM, which causes frustration among some private operators. The varying legality of KSM also makes supervision and coordination difficult. In conclusion, although waste management in Banyumas is considered advanced, legality, coordination, and policy issues are still the main obstacles to the effectiveness of the system.
The discussion continued in a flowing manner with the next question to Goddess Chomistriana, related to what needs to be improved in the capacity of waste management operators, especially those upstream. Dewi emphasized that in waste management, increasing human resource capacity, especially upstream, is very important. The central government needs to ensure clear policies so that they can be easily implemented in the regions. Collaboration between NGOs, academics, and the private sector must also be facilitated. Institutions and regulations must be strengthened, with law enforcement and advocacy for regional budgets to achieve ideal allocations (minimum 3% APBD). Community participation, especially in waste management at the source, needs to be increased through education about the circular economy. A combination of levies and contributions is prioritized for funding, with waste managers as legal entities. The central government must strengthen the waste management budget and address structural barriers that hinder budget priorities.
From this discussion session, it can be concluded that effective waste management in Indonesia requires structural improvements that involve the roles of all parties, both the central government, regional governments, and the community. A clear separation between regulators and operators, as well as appropriate financing adjustments, are crucial in supporting sustainable waste management operations. In addition, strong collaboration between various sectors, including the private sector and the community, is needed to ensure that institutional reforms run smoothly. As conveyed by Dewi, "Institutional reform of waste management is a shared responsibility," and a shared commitment will bring better and more efficient waste management.
The most important thing is that we need to see waste management not just as a technical matter, but as part of a collective responsibility to create a cleaner and healthier environment.
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