Tanah Tinggi Sub-district Intensifies Waste Segregation Outreach to Residents
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tanah Tinggi Kelurahan in Johar Baru Subdistrict, Central Jakarta, is stepping up socialisation of waste sorting at source among residents of RT 15/RW 08, as part of an effort to raise public awareness of waste management.
Tanah Tinggi Lurah (kelurahan head) Heru Tri Prasetyo said the socialisation is being carried out directly from house to house, together with RT and RW officials and local youth groups, so that residents get used to separating organic and inorganic waste at home.
“The socialisation is being intensified to change residents’ mindset. Alhamdulillah, around 50 to 60 per cent of homes in the densely populated RT 15/RW 08 are already independently sorting their waste,” Heru said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Beyond that, the neighbourhood has also set up a waste bank to collect used plastic drinking water bottles from residents and boarding house occupants.
Organic waste in the form of food scraps is gathered to be processed into maggot feed as well as liquid and solid compost.
According to Heru, together with the Johar Baru Subdistrict Environmental Implementation Unit, stickers are being placed on the homes of residents who already sort their waste, both as a form of appreciation and to encourage other residents to take part.
In addition, RT officials routinely check the sorting bins at each house to ensure organic and inorganic waste is not mixed.
Meanwhile, Farid Pahlevi, head of RT 15/RW 08, said his team has provided bins made from used paint cans placed in several alleys to collect organic waste.
They have also set up special collection containers to gather used plastic bottles, particularly from boarding house occupants.
“We also regularly urge boarding house tenants and residents to bring their used mineral water bottles to the collection containers provided. Meanwhile, food scraps can be disposed of in the available bins,” Farid said.
Proceeds from the weekly sale of used plastic bottles are used for the common good.
According to him, public awareness of waste sorting is expected to continue rising as residents’ behaviour in managing waste in their neighbourhood changes.
The programme is in line with the policy of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, which promotes waste sorting through the Movement for Waste Sorting and Processing at Source.
The programme aims to reduce the volume of waste sent to the Bantargebang Waste Processing Facility (TPST) while increasing the utilisation of waste through recycling and the processing of organic waste.