Most of city's organic trash can be recycled

JAKARTA (JP): If all Jakartans made compost out of their kitchen waste and other organic material, 90 percent of the city's organic waste could be reduced.

The organic waste -- vegetable or fruit remains and yard waste -- makes up at least 70 percent of the 26,750 cubic meters of daily waste, according to the latest data on city garbage.

"We would have only 10 percent organic waste which could not be recycled if all Jakartans made compost," Salam H.S. of the Indonesian Forum for Environment said.

He and Bedjo of the Kirai Foundation, which helps people make compost, had taken reporters and organizers of a campaign to reduce waste to a compost-making site in North Jakarta.

The visit was part of a five-day campaign from July 17 to July 21 at the Ciputra Mall, West Jakarta. It was organized by the local branch of The Body Shop and environmental groups.

The exhibition on various ways to reduce garbage was made attractive with a "Wheel of Fortune" game and large boards featuring data on waste.

At the compost-making site, a neighborhood head in the Kapuk Muara subdistrict demonstrated how he and his wife made the black, humus-rich fertilizer.

Mudakir Zaini said he can sell only a small amount of the fertilizer now, as there is not enough land in the dense area to make more compost.

The only benefit, he said, is that "there is less garbage scattered around now". Neighbors who have plants are also given the compost for free. Neighbors take their kitchen waste every day to Mudakir's house.

At a nearby plastic recycling waste site managed by a cooperative, an executive, Batham, said workers have to sort out at least 20 different kinds of plastic material, a skill which is mastered only after two years.

Hundreds of factories buy plastic material which has been sorted, crushed, washed and dried for making toys and various other products.

Bhatam said the 35 workers at the cooperative, among one of many in the city, process up to four tons daily.

Salam stressed that plastic recycling only reduces waste, and urged that people use less plastic.

Earlier in a discussion at the exhibition site, the promotion manager of Ciputra Mall, Victor Nugroho, said the Mall would like to learn "how to become environmentally friendly".

"We would first learn what the criteria of environmentally- friendly is," Victor said.

After that, he said the management would find ways to apply it to the 350 tenants, "which may not have the same ideals as The Body Shop". The shop is popular for its 'bring back our bottles' slogan in line with the reduce, reuse and recycle principle.

The Body Shop, whose franchise holder here is PT Monica HijauLestari, has an outlet in the Mall, one of nine here.

Suzy D. Hutomo, the company director of the British-based multinational chain, linked changes among consumers to the shop's methods.

"When the first shop was opened 1992 at the Pondok Indah Mall, consumers were offended when they did not receive plastic bags," Suzy said.

"Strangely, they came again with a different, supportive attitude," she said.

Meanwhile, young consumers are glad that they feel they can participate in reducing waste, she said.

"So it is not true that the higher income classes are apathetic regarding waste," Suzy said. They just might not have known how they could participate in the campaign, she added. (anr)