MP Reminds of the Importance of Public Education on Waste Sorting

Jakarta - A member of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Meitri Citra Wardani, has reminded the government of the importance of providing education to the public on how to sort waste. According to Meitri, as quoted in Jakarta on Wednesday, sorting household waste—whether organic, inorganic, plastic, or hazardous and toxic (B3) waste—can contribute to resolving the problems of waste accumulation and environmental pollution, which remain challenges in various regions. “Educating the public not to litter indiscriminately is very important. However, it is not enough to stop there; it is also necessary to emphasise building public knowledge to become ‘waste literate’, that is, knowledge on how to handle various types of waste,” she explained. Furthermore, Meitri stated that during her recess period, she conducted direct inspections at several final disposal sites (TPA) in her electoral district in Mojokerto, East Java, to monitor the actual conditions of waste management in the field. “We found that there are still TPAs experiencing overcapacity, thus requiring improvements in governance and support for facilities and infrastructure to support operations,” she said. She then hoped that the presence of the new minister at the Ministry of Environment (KLH) would bring real solutions to waste and environmental pollution issues in Indonesia. “Hopefully, the new KLH minister can realise solutive policies related to waste management and ensure that the President’s mandate to achieve a Waste-Free Indonesia is implemented in earnest,” she said. Meitri also hoped that the government could introduce policies and concrete steps that are truly felt by the public, especially in handling waste and environmental pollution. “Commission XII of the DPR will support and oversee the performance of the new Minister of Environment so that the positive impacts are directly felt by the public. This can start by ensuring that waste and environmental pollution problems are well handled,” she said.