Pertamina Partners with Communities to Turn Waste into Blessings
PT Pertamina (Persero), through Pertamina Patra Niaga, has demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental conservation and community empowerment across its operational areas. Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Roberth M.V. Dumatubun, stressed that this commitment is not merely a slogan but has been realised through concrete actions.
One tangible form of this commitment is implemented through Community Involvement & Development programmes run in various operational areas, such as Dumai, Kasim, and Makassar. “Pertamina Patra Niaga partners with communities around its operational areas to process household waste and refuse, not only providing a positive contribution to nature conservation but also serving as a form of long-term community empowerment,” said Roberth in a press statement.
In Riau, specifically in Tanjung Palas Village, Pertamina Patra Niaga Dumai Refinery initiated Posyandu Sehati, which exchanges used cooking oil for Supplementary Feeding (PMT) for pregnant women and toddlers. In the same area, the Wirani Rejosari Group is also actively processing organic waste into liquid organic fertiliser (PCO).
Moving to Southwest Papua, organic waste processing is also carried out by Pertamina Patra Niaga Kasim Refinery in Malabam Village, Seget District, Sorong Regency. Through the MOI (Independent, Optimal, and Integrated) programme, residents who are members of the Wahimu Farmers Group process organic waste from food scraps and vegetable harvests into pig feed for the Kamisalun Livestock Group. Subsequently, the pig manure is processed back into organic fertiliser to support the Wahimu Farmers Group’s agriculture.
The commitment to the environment and community empowerment is also realised through the Kampung BERLIAN Programme run by Integrated Terminal Makassar together with the Tamalabba Village community. This programme provides a solution to the high volume of household waste generation through an integrated approach, starting from waste sorting, maggot cultivation via the Tamalabba Organic Center (TOC), management of the Tasberlin waste bank, to the development of urban farming based on hydroponics, aquaponics, and fish cultivation.
This programme has successfully transformed the community from mere waste producers into key actors in environmental management. Kampung BERLIAN is able to reduce household waste by up to 6.7 tonnes per month, utilise 4 litres of used cooking oil per month, and save 4,380 kWh of energy through the use of solar power in the hydroponic system. The programme also generates a Social Return on Investment (SROI) value of 1.50, meaning that every Rp1 of corporate investment yields social, economic, and environmental benefits worth Rp1.50 for the community.
“With tangible achievements in the form of waste reduction, more productive waste management, and active community involvement, this initiative proves that environmental management can be a driving force for sustainability at the local level. We hope that in the future we can hold similar programmes more massively and reach more communities. Good waste management is not only an environmental solution but also a foundation for a more sustainable future,” concluded Roberth.