DKI Jakarta Regional House of Representatives: Public Still Unaware of Waste Sorting, District Heads and RTs Urged to Act

Hardiyanto Kenneth, a member of the DKI Jakarta Regional House of Representatives from the PDI Perjuangan faction, has called on all levels of local government—from district heads (camat), village heads (lurah), down to neighbourhood leaders (RT)—to actively address the capital’s waste management issues.

Kenneth argues that the primary issue in Jakarta’s waste management is not merely collection, but the low public awareness in sorting and processing waste at the household level.

‘Our community still lacks understanding of waste management,’ Kenneth told Kompas.com via text message on Monday (25 May 2026). ‘Therefore, the Environmental Service Agency (Sudin LH), district heads, and down to RT level must collaborate. Education must be intensive and consistent—not just a one-off effort.’

‘If everyone acts independently, the waste problem will never be resolved,’ Kenneth added.

Kenneth referenced a major waste crisis during the tenure of former Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso (Bang Yos), when social conflicts and local resistance disrupted access to the Bantargebang Waste Treatment and Disposal Site (TPST).

At the time, the Jakarta provincial government, through relevant agencies, opened the Nagrak area in North Jakarta as a temporary storage site to prevent waste accumulation and disruption to residents’ daily activities.

This situation served as a warning that Jakarta remains overly reliant on the outdated practice of transporting waste to Bantargebang.

‘The crisis revealed Jakarta lacks an independent waste management system, with weak capabilities in sorting, recycling, and modern processing technology. Over-reliance on Bantargebang would lead to extreme problems,’ he said.

Therefore, Kenneth urged waste management to be a top priority under the leadership of Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung and Deputy Governor Rano Karno.

‘Jakarta must transform from a city that discards waste to one that effectively manages it,’ he concluded.

In related news, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung previously issued Governor’s Instruction No. 5 of 2026 on the Waste Sorting and Processing Movement from the Source.

The regulation requires residents to sort waste at home into categories such as organic, inorganic, hazardous (B3), and residual waste to reduce the city’s waste burden.