Communities deal with their waste

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The recent violent opposition of Bojong residents to the presence of a waste treatment facility in their neighborhood, and the tug- of-war between Jakarta and Bekasi early this year over the Bantar Gebang dump, has left a question mark hanging over what to do with the city's waste.

The answer can easily be found in several communities in the capital, including Banjarsari in West Cilandak, South Jakarta. The people there have turned organic waste into compost and plastic waste and cans into vases.

However, such activities are yet to become routine for Jakartans. Separating organic and non-organic waste -- despite the fact that the city administration has provided different garbage bins in several parts of the city -- has not yet caught on.

Waste expert with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Sri Bebassari, said the public should play a major role in dealing with the waste problem.

"The administration must strongly support community efforts to solve the garbage problem. If necessary, they should be given an incentive," she said on Saturday.

Efforts should not only include making compost and recycling, but producing less garbage and sorting it before disposal. Jakarta produces around 6,000 tons of waste daily, around 60 percent of which is produced by households.

"If such activities were to become movements, it would significantly help the city solve its chronic problem," she said.

According to Sri, the public's participation is only one of five aspects that must be taken into account by the administration in solving the waste problem. The other four are legal, institutional, funding and technology aspects.

She advised the administration to design a comprehensive master plan that included the five aspects. The absence of such a master plan, she added, had caused the problem in the first place.

City Council Commission D for development affairs chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto said the planned master plan would act as guidelines for the administration.

"We experienced a waste crisis in late 2001, when Bekasi decided to close down Bantar Gebang dump. Earlier this year, we suffered a similar problem. It will continue unless a waste management system is implemented," he said.

He said that the council would encourage any effort to solve the waste problem, including the approval of funds for garbage projects, as long as the administration offered a clear waste management concept.

"It is not the time to apply a 'try and error' policy on how to handle our garbage. We need a master plan. We need a comprehensive concept to resolve garbage with a clear timeframe," he said.

Sayogo advised the administration to involve experts from various disciplines in formulating such a master plan.