DKI Provincial Government Urged to Continue Prioritising 3R Programme Despite Plans for Waste-to-Energy Plants

The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is urged to continue prioritising the 3R programme—reduce, reuse, recycle—despite plans to build two Waste-to-Energy (PLTSa) facilities in collaboration with Danantara. University of Indonesia urban planning expert Muh Azis Muslim warns that PLTSa will not solve Jakarta’s waste problems if the government does not focus on reducing waste at the source. “Even with PLTSa in place, socialisation of the 3R principles remains an important, primary aspect of waste management in Jakarta,” Azis stated when contacted by Kompas.com on Friday (15/5/2026). Moreover, the capacity of the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) is increasingly limited and is estimated to last less than three years. However, Azis reminds that building PLTSa will not fully resolve Jakarta’s waste issues in the long term without strengthening upstream reduction efforts. In the reduce concept, the public is encouraged to cut down on items that could become waste, especially single-use plastics. Reuse means using items that are still usable again instead of discarding them immediately. Meanwhile, recycle involves processing waste into items that still have utility value. “Recycling is one principle that I believe will be more effective if applied at the upstream level,” Azis said. However, according to him, the programme must be habitualised and not just ceremonial. Although it has started, waste sorting is assessed as not yet consistent. “Waste sorting activities are still sporadic. Public awareness is building, but incentives and disincentives for residents who diligently sort waste also need to be considered,” Azis remarked. In addition to public behaviour, Azis assesses that waste transportation governance must also be improved. He reminds that waste already sorted at households should not become mixed again during transport to temporary collection points (TPS) or final disposal sites. “If it’s already sorted at the household but mixed again during transport or at TPS, it certainly becomes ineffective,” he said.