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Taufiq Syarifudin/detikcom
The Government To Clamp Down On Paper Waste Imports
Thursday, 07 Nov 2024
The Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, announced that stopping plastic waste imports and tightening rules on paper waste will prevent other countries from dumping their trash in Indonesia. He made this statement after checking out an illegal landfill in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Monday, November 4, 2024.
Hanif stressed that Indonesia won’t be a dumping ground for foreign waste anymore, especially for industrial needs. "Burning waste is expensive. It’s cheaper to get rid of it here, where people are willing to import and store it. We need to put a stop to this," he said.
He pointed out that Indonesia can meet its plastic waste needs, which are set to end by 2025. As for paper waste, his ministry will enforce stricter import rules. Hanif mentioned that out of the yearly demand of 14 million tons, about 7 million tons comes from pulp production in industrial plantations.
The other 7 million tons includes 3.5 million tons of local plastic waste and the rest from imports. "We can’t just let anything in, since a lot of paper products are re-exported. We need to keep a close eye on this process," he added. The move to impose restrictions is based on the fact that waste imports don’t help the government’s efforts to manage and cut down waste. "Given the situation, we’ll keep enforcing limits until waste management improves," Hanif wrapped up.
Hanif pointed out that the current tolerance for contaminants in non-hazardous waste is set at two percent, which includes paper waste. One of the steps expected to tighten import rules is to lower the impurity levels in waste as much as possible. "I updated President Prabowo on this yesterday. He also asked us to stop bringing in plastic waste. Plus, he told us to revise the guidelines for importing paper for recycling," he mentioned.
According to the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN) data from 2023, the country generates 38.2 million tons of waste, but only 61.75 percent of that is properly managed. Out of this total, plastic waste is the second largest type, making up 19.21 percent, right after food waste, which is at 39.65 percent.
