Govt pushes waste management<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Partly due to public outrage over recent accidents allegedly
\ncaused by dump mismanagement, the government plans to push ahead
\nwith its funding program for small and medium businesses to make
\ncompost from garbage.
\n The country produces roughly 70 cubic meters (approximately
\n20,000 tons) of domestic waste each day.<\/p>\n
The issue of waste management came up on Tuesday in a seminar
\norganized by the Office of the State Minister of the Environment
\nand the World Bank to address one of the key issues in urban
\nenvironmental management in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Since its inception in 2001, the program, set up with the
\nsupport of the World Bank, has benefited only 21 waste management
\ncompanies due to lack of publicity.<\/p>\n
An official of the ministry's information division, Laksmi
\nWidayanti, acknowledged that promotion of the project had been
\nweak and that many applicants could not submit appropriate
\nproposals in line with the standards set by the bank and the
\nministry.<\/p>\n
The US$10 million fund has been provided by the bank with the
\naim of reducing the country's urban waste by 60,000 tons within
\nthree years by disbursing subsidies to eligible compost producers
\nthat meet the criteria for assistance.<\/p>\n
\"In its first phase, $3.1 million is available to promote
\ncomposting,\" said Josef Leitmann, environment coordinator at the
\nWorld Bank's Jakarta office. \"It also provides technical
\nassistance to producers for compost production and marketing\".<\/p>\n
The first phase of the program, which was disbursed in
\nDecember 2003, was carried out through the Western Java
\nEnvironmental Project (WJEP), covering West Java, Jakarta and
\nBanten provinces.<\/p>\n
\"We should look at garbage from a different point of view:
\nthat it is not merely a source of problems, but also has
\npotential for developing economic activities,\" said Rachmat
\nWitoelar, the State Minister of the Environment.<\/p>\n
From April 2004 to January 2005, waste management companies
\nparticipating in the program processed 450 tons of waste a day
\nand produced a total of 20,000 tons of fertilizer.<\/p>\n
\"If it is successful, the impact would be a reduction of waste
\nby as much as 50 percent, which is now going to disposal sites,\"
\nLeitmann said.<\/p>\n
However, so far only 1.6 percent of the total garbage disposed
\nof here is being processed for use as compost.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, more than 100 people were killed due to
\nlandslides at dumps in Leuwigajah and Lembang, both located in
\nWest Java. (006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-pushes-waste-management-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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