Pupuk Kaltim Strengthens Community-Based Waste Management in Bontang
PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim) has handed over infrastructure support for a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (TPS 3R) Waste Processing Site in Guntung Ward, North Bontang, valued at Rp1.13 billion. This assistance reflects the company’s commitment to supporting sustainable environmental management in Bontang City, while strengthening community-based waste management systems.
Pupuk Kaltim’s Risk Management Director, Teguh Ismartono, stated that the existence of the Guntung TPS 3R also represents the company’s participation in enhancing the effectiveness of waste management as outlined by the Bontang City Government. The programme focuses on reducing waste volume and prioritises an integrated approach involving the community as the main actors.
The Guntung TPS 3R is expected to create a more integrated and cohesive waste management cycle, providing benefits for environmental sustainability amid increasingly complex waste challenges.
“This infrastructure will be managed by the Guntung Olah Bebaya Group, which is mentored by Pupuk Kaltim to optimise the TPS 3R, thereby contributing economic impacts from the programme implementation,” Teguh said, quoted on Monday (27/4/2026).
Teguh explained that the Olah Bebaya group, consisting of 13 members, handles waste collection services from more than 200 households in the Guntung area. The collected waste is sorted by type for resale or processing into other products with economic value.
“This effort demonstrates that waste management can not only reduce the volume ending up in final disposal sites but also provide direct economic benefits to the community,” he said.
“We are not just building facilities, but also an ecosystem that actively involves the community, ensuring sustainable waste management and adding value to the socio-economic aspects,” Teguh added.
From a technical perspective, the Guntung TPS 3R infrastructure stands on a 24 x 20 metre plot of land and is equipped with various operational support facilities, including sorting areas, yards, and a secretariat office to support waste management activities.
Additionally, Pupuk Kaltim has provided supporting operational infrastructure such as electricity and water networks, organic waste shredders, feed moulders, and plastic bottle presses, enabling the processing of waste into economically valuable products.
He hopes that the presence of this facility will change the community’s paradigm towards waste, from viewing it as mere refuse to recognising it as a resource with practical and economic value.
“With comprehensive support facilities, we hope the Guntung TPS 3R can become a hub for integrated waste management that not only reduces environmental burdens but also opens up economic opportunities for the community,” Teguh emphasised.
He affirmed that through various initiatives, Pupuk Kaltim ensures its contribution to regional development and improving the quality of life for the community through sustainable solutions.
“This is our commitment that we will continue to uphold, as a manifestation of Pupuk Kaltim’s support for the people and environment in Bontang City,” Teguh added.
Bontang’s Deputy Mayor, Agus Haris, appreciated Pupuk Kaltim’s support. According to him, this assistance represents synergy between the business world and government in strengthening sustainable environmental management systems in Bontang City.
Agus stated that the Guntung TPS 3R aligns with the direction of regional development, particularly in realising Bontang’s vision as an advanced, prosperous, and sustainable industrial and service city. The facility addresses technical needs for waste management while strengthening the foundation of environment-based development, which is a regional priority.
“This programme is in line with our vision and mission, particularly in strengthening regional infrastructure for waste management. With adequate facilities, waste management from the source can be carried out more optimally, structured, and with added value for the community,” Agus explained.
Furthermore, Agus noted that the TPS 3R-based approach also aligns with national policy directions emphasising the importance of reducing waste at the source and strengthening community participation in integrated management systems. For this reason, he encouraged the Guntung community to maximise the use of this facility as a collective movement to preserve the environment.
“We are no longer just talking about transporting and disposing of waste, but about managing it into valuable resources. And Pupuk Kaltim’s TPS 3R can serve as a concrete example of implementing a circular economy in the community,” Agus stated.