Surabaya (ANTARA) - Mangroves always present two contrasting faces.\nFrom a distance, the green expanse appears tranquil, serving as a\nnatural fortress protecting the coast from abrasion and acting as a home\nfor diverse wildlife.<\/p>\n
However, amidst the respiratory roots that should symbolise life,\ndull plastic sheets, torn plastic bags, and various uninvited wastes are\noften trapped. It is ironic that most of this waste does not originate\nfrom the mangrove area itself. River currents carry it from the\nmainland, while sea waves return it during high tide. Consequently,\nmangroves have become the final destination for plastic that has failed\nto be managed properly.<\/p>\n
This phenomenon provides a clear illustration that the issue of\nplastic waste is no longer merely a matter of urban cleanliness. It has\ntransformed into a threat to ecosystems, the economy of coastal\ncommunities, and the sustainability of marine resources.<\/p>\n
Amidst these challenges, the step taken by the Surabaya Regional\nResearch and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) to develop pyrolysis technology\nto convert mangrove plastic waste into fuel presents a different\nperspective. Waste is no longer positioned solely as a burden, but as a\nresource that holds value if processed through appropriate\ninnovation.<\/p>\n
While this idea is not yet a single solution to the plastic problem,\nit offers a new direction: that waste management requires the courage to\nmove beyond conventional approaches.<\/p>\n
Root of the problem<\/p>\n
Indonesia still faces significant challenges in plastic waste\nmanagement. According to the National Waste Management Information\nSystem of the Ministry of Environment, national waste generation reaches\ntens of millions of tonnes annually, with plastic waste being one of the\nlargest contributors. Some are successfully recycled, but many end up in\nlandfills, rivers, and the ocean.<\/p>\n
Reports from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also\nshow that plastic pollution has become a global crisis. Every year,\nmillions of tonnes of plastic enter the oceans, disrupting coastal\necosystems, threatening marine biota, and even entering the human food\nchain in the form of microplastics.<\/p>\n
Mangroves are among the ecosystems most vulnerable to these impacts.\nTheir dense root structures are effective at trapping sediment, but\nsimultaneously trap various types of waste carried by currents.<\/p>\n
As a result, mangrove roots lose the space to breathe optimally.\nAccumulating waste inhibits vegetation growth and reduces the habitat\nquality for various types of fish, crabs, birds, and other biota that\ndepend on the area.<\/p>\n
Surabaya has long been known as a city seriously committed to\ndeveloping mangrove areas. Various rehabilitation efforts are undertaken\nto strengthen coastal protection and support carbon emission reductions.\nHowever, the success of rehabilitation will not be maximised if the\npressure from plastic waste continues.<\/p>\n
This is where BRIDA\u2019s approach becomes interesting. The target of the\npyrolysis technology is not plastic bottles, which still possess\neconomic value, but rather plastic bags and damaged plastics that have\nhistorically been of little interest to the recycling industry.<\/p>\n
This means the innovation targets the link in the chain that has been\nthe weak point in national waste management: low-value plastic waste\nthat is usually simply discarded or openly burned.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/when-plastic-waste-becomes-energy-1783039883", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }