Luar Batang converts waste into compost

Luar Batang converts waste into compost

By Imran Rusli

JAKARTA (JP): When Hamzah Harun Al Rasyid began his
development project in Kampung Luar Batang in Penjaringan, North
Jakarta, he had no idea that the village's sewage would become a
prospective income earner for the area.

Under the umbrella of PT Spectra Matrik Indah, an NGO working
together with the Jakarta administration and the federal
government of Germany, Hamzah and his team started in 1989 to
look for any potential the village might have to offer, giving
priority to projects promoting hygiene.

Their initial efforts gave rise to several sewing, weaving and
pottery businesses, which opened up new economic boundaries for
the locals. Spectra then distributed fruit and flower seeds as
well as two truckloads of precious soil to Luar Batang, which is
located on the western side of the Ciliwung River. Judging from
the requests for more soil and plants, the project was a great
success.

Despite having improved the local human resources, a means of
cleaning the environment had yet to be found. Fewer than 30
percent of Luar Batang's houses were equipped with basic lavatory
facilities, with the rest making use of the open ditches in front
of their homes. However, Hamzah and his team came up with a way
of converting the waste into compost. The villagers heartily
welcomed the idea when they witnessed how eggplant thrived on
compost of their own making, which also helped to cut down on
soil purchasing costs.

But Spectra's efforts to clean up Luar Batang's polluted
environment were not enough. As Ilhamsyah Lubis of Spectra said,
"They were only picking up enough for their pots and plants."

Solution

More than 1.6 tons of mixed sewage is produced in the village
every day.

"We arrived at the idea of producing compost based on the
assumption that if the village sewage could become a money
earner, people of Luar Batang would clean up the ditches without
much prodding from the authorities," explained Hamzah.

Studies conducted by Sucofindo, a research institute in
Jakarta, confirmed the assumption. "Sucofindo recommended that we
go ahead with the compost project," he added.

Thus the beginning of the Luar Batang compost project four
years later in 1993. A 100-square-meter plot of land beside the
Jami' Mosque was used for the compost factory and Spectra
provided a subsidy to two locals, 43-year-old M. Toha and
45-year-old Slamet, in the form of six monthly orders of
Rp 100,000 (US$43.34) per month.

The factory slowly consumed all of the sewage in Luar Batang.

"If people don't clean the ditches, we do it for them and
deliver it to the factory," said Slamet, who has been earning a
living from the compost business ever since his subsidy was
ended.

Process

The processing of composting does not require a complicated
system. The sewage has to be sifted according to the material,
such as plastic, wood, galvanized iron and glass. The rest of the
waste has to be fermented under the sun, aided by a bamboo air
funnel. Once a week the material has to be turned -- twice if
there is good sunlight -- for a recommended period of 40 days.
The compost must then be sieved, packed and prepared for
marketing.

Compost from Luar Batang is now a household name among plant
traders in Jakarta and Bekasi.

"It's just a shame that the payment process is so slow. I have
to go back several times to collect the money. One delivery costs
Rp 20,000, but I get paid in installments of Rp 10,000," complained
Slamet.

Hamzah and Ilhamsyah have been successful in alleviating Luar
Batang's pollution problem while creating a money making venture
in the process.

Hamzah Harun Al Rasyid noted with pride: "Each month we market
an average of two tons of processed compost at Rp 200 per
kilogram, packed and labeled. Clogged ditches are history now.
The terraces of Luar Batang are freshly covered with greens. But,
most of all, Kampung Luar Batang has been free of floods all year
long."

The only concern he has now is to convince the villagers that
there is money to be made from sewage.

"If marketing goes well and demand grows at fair prices, we
are sure that every villager will be willing to process the
sewage of Luar Batang's ditches."