Home Affairs Minister: Waste management must be integrated, not fragmented
“I just want to add a few data points to ensure that this event is not just ceremonial but serves as yet another wake-up call,”
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian has affirmed that waste management cannot be carried out in a fragmented manner but must be integrated from upstream to downstream so that this national issue can be addressed systematically and sustainably.
In his presentation, the Home Affairs Minister reminded that Indonesia is currently among the top five countries in the world in terms of waste generation and ranks third as a contributor to plastic waste in the ocean. According to him, this condition should be a moment for joint evaluation.
“I just want to add a few data points to ensure that this event is not just ceremonial but serves as yet another wake-up call,” said the Home Affairs Minister in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.
This was conveyed at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) on Waste Management with the theme of Collaboration for a Clean, Healthy, and Beautiful Indonesia (ASRI) in Jakarta.
He emphasized that the waste issue is not just a matter of cleanliness, but also has a direct impact on public health and has economic value if managed properly.
The Home Affairs Minister explained that the waste management strategy can be divided into three approaches, namely upstream-based, downstream-based, and integrated.
The upstream approach focuses on reducing waste from the source, starting from households to the village level.
“The upstream approach is based on the environment and households. So, every household, every community, for example, in the RT, RW, and village, should start by reducing waste and then processing waste in their respective environments,” he explained.
He cited several regions such as Banyuwangi, Klungkung, and Subang, which are considered successful in implementing community-based waste management through sorting from the beginning, thus being able to reduce the volume of waste entering the final processing site (TPA).
In addition, the Home Affairs Minister highlighted the economic potential of processing organic waste through maggot cultivation or Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae. This innovation is considered capable of reducing the volume of waste while producing value-added products such as animal feed and fertilizer, in line with the principles of a circular economy.
On the downstream side, he emphasized the importance of strengthening waste collection and processing systems, especially in urban areas with high volumes. The use of technology is considered a solution as long as it is supported by consistent governance and supervision.
Through this National Coordination Meeting, the Home Affairs Minister hopes that waste management will no longer be reactive but will become a structured and sustainable collaborative movement.
“The city is clean because the waste management team moves quickly. So that in the morning there is no waste,” he said.