Central Java Governor Receives Award for Best Waste Management Leadership
Semarang (ANTARA) - The Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, has received the 2026 Waste Management Performance Award from the Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Agency for the category of Best Leader in District/City Waste Management.
The award was presented directly by the Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting on Waste Management, held at the Balai Kartini Building, Jakarta, on Wednesday.
The award was also given because the province of Central Java has launched the ‘Central Java Safe, Healthy, Clean, and Beautiful’ (ASRI) movement.
Luthfi stated that his administration consistently requests waste management data from district/city governments to serve as a reference for policy-making.
“The waste problem in Central Java requires concrete steps. It amounts to almost 6.36 million tons per year. Only about 60 per cent can be processed, and the rest are not being handled optimally. This must be a serious concern for all of us,” he said.
Therefore, he has taken concrete steps by launching the ASRI movement and preparing several integrated waste management sites (TPST), both regionally and in agglomerations.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Central Java Environmental and Forestry Agency, Widi Hartanto, explained that his office has taken several steps regarding waste management in the region, by issuing a circular regarding waste management from upstream to downstream.
“From the upstream level, starting from households, waste must be managed. It must be sorted into organic and inorganic waste,” he said.
Another step is the transformation of waste management with technology, one of which is closing open dumping sites.
“Waste can be turned into electrical energy, it can be turned into industrial fuel. The acceleration being carried out is the closure of open dumping sites, the formation of waste management task forces from the provincial, district/city levels to the village level,” he said.
Regarding the transformation to TPST, two are currently operational, namely in Banyumas, Cilacap, and Magelang Regency, which use the RDF system. There are also Kudus and Grobogan, which are starting TPST on a small scale.
“This year, we proposed 14 TPST locations in Central Java. Others will follow soon because currently, it is still in the MoU stage; once it is confirmed, we will propose it to the central government,” he said.