PTK Combines Coastal Education and Clean-Up for Students at Tangkoko Beach

PT Pertamina Trans Kontinental (PTK) has combined coastal environmental education with a clean-up action at Tangkoko Beach for primary school students in Bitung City, North Sulawesi, to cultivate awareness among the younger generation about the coastal ecosystem that supports the region’s tourism potential. Acting President Director of PT Pertamina Trans Kontinental Eko Cahyadi stated that the educational component was added to ensure the activity goes beyond just collecting rubbish, but also encourages behavioural change in the community from a young age. “Today we are carrying out a Coastal Cleanup activity aimed at preserving the beach while also educating the children that environmental sustainability is important for the continuity of life and business,” Eko said during the Coastal Education event at Tangkoko Beach, Bitung, on Saturday. Unlike previous implementations over the last three years which focused solely on beach clean-ups, this year PTK added Coastal Education, providing learning materials to students about coastal ecosystems, waste management, and the impact of plastic waste on marine life. The materials, delivered by the marine conservation organisation Sea Soldier, introduced the position of the North Sulawesi region within the Coral Triangle and the importance of instilling waste sorting habits from an early age. The activity involved primary school students from around the Tangkoko area, the local community, the Bitung City Government, the Class I Bitung Harbormaster and Port Authority Office, environmental communities, and several entities from the Pertamina Group. Eko Cahyadi explained that Tangkoko Beach was chosen because of its ecological value and tourism potential, as well as its proximity to Pertamina’s operational area at the Bitung Integrated Terminal. He noted that maintaining the cleanliness and sustainability of the coast can strengthen the area’s tourism appeal, thereby creating a multiplier effect for the local community’s economy. “The beach is so beautiful. The Bitung region has both mountains and a complete coastline. It has great potential to be developed into a tourist area, but we must maintain the sustainability and cleanliness of the coast,” he said. After the education session, participants took part in a beach clean-up action to apply the lessons on waste management and coastal ecosystem protection. PTK also handed over maritime education books, stationery, and waste sorting facilities to the participating schools to support the habituation of environmentally friendly behaviour. Head of Environmental Management at the Bitung City Environmental Agency, Audy Lengkong, said collaboration between the government, businesses, communities, and the public is necessary to protect coastal areas amid limited environmental management resources. According to him, maintaining the cleanliness of Tangkoko Beach is crucial because the area is a tourist attraction and a research site visited by both domestic and international researchers. “The government also encourages that the cleanliness of the beaches in this region becomes a very important matter in order to increase contributions to the community, both economically and for tourism in this area,” Audy stated. The coastal conservation effort aligns with the government’s programme to strengthen waste management and reduce the flow of waste into the sea. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is running the Healthy Sea Free of Waste programme, targeting a gradual reduction of marine debris by up to 50 percent by 2029 through an upstream-to-downstream approach, covering rivers, coasts, ports, small islands, and ship activities. The programme in Tangkoko is a continuation of PTK’s Coastal Clean Up activities previously held in Semarang in 2023, Kulon Progo in 2024, and Cilacap in 2025. Based on PTK data, the series of activities from 2023 to 2025 has collected 37.82 tonnes of waste, involved more than 3,972 participants, and generated a potential emission reduction of 31.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.