Every day, our production and consumption processes produce waste, both from homes, industries, and offices.
Not infrequently, these garbage causes unpleasant odors or cannot even be recycled as quickly as we use or consume it.
Over the past few years, the waste problem has received a red light, where the quantity has been soaring in several parts of the world. Indonesia has also not escaped the world’s attention related to waste.
If not managed properly, this waste can cause adverse effects such as pungent odors, diseases from bacteria in it such as salmonellosis, skin infections, and tetanus, and diseases from viruses in it such as trachoma and hepatitis A.
In this article, there are 4 facts about waste in Indonesia that you need to know so that you can be moved to process it better. Come on, listen carefully!
4 Facts about Waste in Indonesia
- Most No-5 in the World
Quoted fromOkezone News, our country is ranked fifth out of all countries in the world with waste production reaching 65.2 million tons per year.
According to data from the National Waste Management Information System, the pile of waste found in 321 districts/cities in Indonesia in 2023 will reach 35 million tons.
The data above shows that food and household waste is the largest source of waste which contributes to the amount of 35 million tons.
This shows the urgency to manage waste from an early age from the smallest place, namely in the household.
The food waste produced by Indonesia is the highest in Southeast Asia from data reported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2021.
- Plastic Waste (Still) is a Problem
The use of conventional or single-use plastics in the production or consumption process of home and industrial Indonesians is the cause of the large pile of plastic waste.
In addition, plastic waste ranks second in the composition of the waste pile from the data reported by SIPSN. This certainly increases the urgency to slowly replace it with more environmentally friendly plastic.
This step has been implemented by BIOPAC since 5 years ago by launching environmentally friendly plastics made from seaweed.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the product is also safe to consume and easily decomposes through organisms and is home-compostable.
- Landfill Overload Until Temporarily Stopped Operating
The habit of the Indonesian people to simply throw away garbage without processing it has become an unresolved problem that has an impact on landfills (landfills) which are increasingly proliferating.
Reporting fromUnair News, the waste that enters the landfill amounts to almost 70% and only 7% of it can be reprocessed.
Not only the problem of exploding waste, this huge amount also has an impact on the safety of workers in the landfill.
Work accidents such as landfill fires due to methane gas produced by garbage and intense extreme weather are often inevitable.
Waste disposal activities at the Piyungan Landfill, Sitimulyo Village, Piyungan, Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Tuesday (28/2/2023).
Kompas also reported the same thing, precisely at the Piyungan Landfill in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The landfill, which has been operating since 1996, was forced to temporarily close last year from July 23 to September 5, 2023 because it was too full.
Encouraging waste processing efforts to various households in districts/cities in Indonesia is certainly an important thing to be carried out by the relevant agencies.
- Indonesia’s Toxic Ocean (Garbage)
Our society has poisoned its own oceans with wasted garbage.
Databoks explained the data issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) related to waste. In 2020, Indonesia’s ocean area has been polluted by around 1,772.7 grams of waste per square meter (g/m2).
When converted into nominal form, there are already around 5.75 million tons of waste that resides in Indonesia’s oceans and poisons our biodiversity, including coral reefs, fish, shrimp, and so on.
Not only that, Indonesia also made an “achievement” as the second largest contributor of plastic waste to the sea after China. This is quoted from a study conducted by Jenna R. Jambeck and colleagues (2015) [Unair News].
Now, it is not impossible that we also consume “waste” through processed fish or seafood. It is time for us to work together to reduce the adverse impact of this explosive waste by implementing a more mindful lifestyle, such as replacing single-use plastic with other products that can be used many times.
BIOPAC is also committed to continuing to help you live a more environmentally friendly life through our products that are able to decompose on their own from home.
Let’s start using eco-friendly products in your life!