INDOPOLITIKA \u2013 The discourse on Danantara entering the waste\nmanagement sector opens a new chapter in how the state views\nenvironmental issues. Hitherto, waste has been regarded as a burden, a\nsocial cost borne by local governments, rather than an economic\npotential that can be managed strategically.<\/p>\n
Danantara\u2019s entry, as an entity focused on asset management and\ninvestment, marks a change in perspective: waste is beginning to be seen\nas an asset, not merely as waste.<\/p>\n
This step, if implemented seriously, actually has a strong logical\nfoundation. Indonesia produces tens of millions of tonnes of waste each\nyear, with a large portion still recyclable or convertible into energy.\nIn the framework of the modern economy, this is a \u201cdormant resource\u201d\nthat has not been optimally utilised thus far. This is where Danantara\nhas the potential to enter: building an industrial ecosystem from\nupstream to downstream, starting from collection, sorting, recycling, to\nprocessing into energy.<\/p>\n
However, the question is not about potential, but about execution.\nWaste management is not merely an infrastructure project or ordinary\nbusiness investment. It touches on societal behaviour, inter-agency\ncoordination, and governance that has long been known to be complex and\noften unsynchronised. If Danantara only enters as an investor without\nbeing able to integrate the system from upstream, what will happen is\nmerely a repetition of the old patterns on a larger scale.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Danantara\u2019s presence could be a momentum to push\nfor structural changes that have been stalled thus far. With its capital\nstrength and networks, Danantara has the potential to build a more\nmodern waste processing industry, from large-scale recycling facilities\nto waste-based power plants. If linked to the circular economy concept,\nthis step could transform Indonesia\u2019s waste management from a disposal\nsystem into a value-added system.<\/p>\n
But there remains a critical note. Waste management must not be\ndriven solely by profit logic. If the orientation is only on profit,\nthere is a risk that environmental and social aspects will be\nmarginalised. Waste is not merely a commodity; it relates to public\nhealth, environmental quality, and social justice. Therefore, state\ninvolvement through Danantara must still maintain a balance between\neconomic efficiency and ecological responsibility.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the success of this step still depends on one thing that\ncannot be bought with investment: changes in societal behaviour. Without\nthe habit of sorting waste at the source, without collective awareness\nto reduce excessive consumption, even the most advanced system will be\noverwhelmed. Danantara can build factories, but it cannot\nsingle-handedly change the habits of millions of people.<\/p>\n
In the end, Danantara\u2019s entry into the waste management sector is\nboth an opportunity and a test. An opportunity to prove that waste can\nbe part of the future economy, and a test of whether Indonesia can break\nfree from the old patterns that have only shifted problems without truly\nsolving them. If successful, this could be a turning point. If it fails,\nit will merely be another large project that sinks amid the ever-growing\nmountains of waste.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/danantara-and-waste-a-new-solution-or-mere-rhetoric-1775659913", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }