Tanah Tinggi Sub-district Intensifies Waste Segregation Outreach to Residents

The Tanah Tinggi Sub-district in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, is intensifying outreach on waste segregation at source to residents of RT 15/RW 08 as an effort to raise public awareness in managing waste. Tanah Tinggi Sub-district Head Heru Tri Prasetyo said the socialisation is carried out directly from house to house together with local RT, RW administrators, and youth groups so that residents become accustomed to separating organic and inorganic waste from home. “The outreach is intensified to change the mindset of residents. We are grateful that around 50 to 60 per cent of homes in the densely populated RT 15/RW 08 are already independently segregating their waste,” Heru said in Jakarta on Wednesday. Furthermore, the community has also established 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 collected to be processed into maggot feed as well as liquid and solid compost. According to Heru, his team together with the Johar Baru District Environmental Implementation Unit also places stickers on the houses of residents who have carried out waste segregation as a form of appreciation and to encourage the participation of other residents. In addition, RT administrators routinely check the segregated waste bins in each house to ensure organic and inorganic waste is not mixed. Meanwhile, Head of RT 15/RW 08 Farid Pahlevi said his team provides waste bins made from used paint cans placed in several alleys to collect organic waste. They also provide special collection containers for used plastic bottles, especially from boarding house occupants. “We also routinely urge boarding house occupants and residents to bring their used mineral water bottles to the designated collection containers. Meanwhile, food scraps can be disposed of in the available bins,” Farid said. The proceeds from the weekly sale of used plastic bottles are used for the common good. He believes public awareness in segregating waste will continue to increase in line with changes in residents’ behaviour in managing waste in the environment. The programme aligns with the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government’s policy promoting waste segregation through the Waste Segregation and Processing at Source Movement. The programme aims to reduce the volume of waste sent to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Plant while increasing waste utilisation through recycling and organic waste processing.