Solution to waste problem

Solution to waste problem

From Warta Kota

After reading an article in Warta Kota written by Wimar
Artinas titled Hello ... Bang Yos complaining about waste -- a
common issue in Jakarta -- and suggesting a solution to it, I am
of the opinion that all of us must seek a solution to this
problem.

I happen to have a friend involved with environmentally
friendly and efficient machines capable of recycling plastic
waste into diesel oil.

Just imagine that out of 27,000 cubic meters of waste dumped
in the city, 4,000 cubic meters is normally made up of plastic
materials. This is not only an eyesore but also poses a threat to
human life and nature.

To overcome this problem and to earn additional revenue, it
would be much better for the city administration to operate such
machines to deal with the mountains of plastic waste in the
capital. For efficiency, please consider the following:

The machine is capable of processing 20 tons of waste per day.
If 4,000 cubic meters of waste is equivalent to 275 to 400 tons,
this means the city administration will need 20 machines. Each
machine costs US$2,175,000, so 20 units would cost $43,500,000 or
about Rp 490 billion (at the rate of Rp 11,250 per dollar).

Compared with the incinerator (reported cost Rp 3 trillion)
the city administration plans to buy, this machine is much
cheaper. And besides, the price of the incinerator is exorbitant
and yet it will not solve all our waste problems.

Hopefully, the city administration will consider this problem
logically for the sake of Jakartans and taxpayers who are always
on the losing end.

ARI RAHIM

Address withheld