Environment Minister Emphasises Waste Sorting from Source to Support Waste-to-Electricity Project in Jambi City

Jambi City (ANTARA) - Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has emphasised waste sorting from the source to support the success of the Waste-to-Electricity Processing (PSEL) project in Jambi City.

Hanif conveyed this during a working visit to the Talang Gulo landfill in Kota Baru sub-district, Jambi City, on Saturday, accompanied by Jambi Mayor Maulana and Jambi Governor Al Haris.

Hanif directly inspected various waste management infrastructures at the Talang Gulo landfill and expressed appreciation, deeming the management as one of the best in Indonesia in terms of design and operations.

According to him, this condition serves as a strong foundation for the Jambi City Government in tackling waste issues, but the main challenge remains in upstream management, particularly in sorting waste from the source.

“Waste management fundamentally depends on the sorting process; if done well, waste can have economic value, but if not sorted properly, it will cause problems from upstream to downstream,” he said.

He stated that the upstream management system needs to be strengthened immediately to handle waste issues comprehensively, with a daily waste volume of around 600 tonnes.

“We ask local governments to immediately strengthen upstream waste management to end open dumping practices by 2026, as the construction and operation of PSEL is estimated to take about three years,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jambi Mayor Maulana stated that the Jambi City Government, through the Kampung Bahagia programme, is focusing on strengthening upstream waste management based on households by involving the community down to the neighbourhood level (RT), while targeting the regulation of illegal waste dumping to implement strict sanctions in accordance with regional regulations.

“We target no more dumping, burning, or disposal of waste into rivers by ensuring all waste is managed clearly, while promoting collective awareness through the Kampung Bahagia programme that waste is a shared responsibility and centralising management at the Talang Gulo landfill as a regional public service agency (BLUD),” said Maulana.

Jambi Governor Al Haris welcomed the visit of the Environment Minister and affirmed that the Jambi Provincial Government is ready to support the acceleration of waste problem handling, including plans to build PSEL or Waste-to-Energy facilities in the Talang Gulo area.