Batam, dumping site for plastic waste

Batam, dumping site for plastic waste

BATAM, Riau: The island of Batam has recently become a dumping
site for plastic waste from Australia before it is sent to
Jakarta by sea for recycling.

"I myself saw the dumping of some 300 tons of plastic waste
allegedly from Australia. It is said demand for polyethylene is
on the rise in Jakarta," a scavenger, Alek, said here on Friday.

Alek said a number of foreign companies had imported waste
from the country despite the fact the island had enough plastic
waste to dispose of.

Chief of the local sanitation office, Edeng Rahmat, revealed
the import of the waste was illegal as his office had never
issued a permit to dump plastic waste from Australia.

Edeng said he was worried that the waste contained harmful
substances but added some investors from Australia had explored
the possibility of investing in waste-recycling plants on the
Island in July--Antara