Thousand Islands Develops Waste-Free Tourism
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Thousand Islands Regency Government in Jakarta is developing waste-free tourist areas by promoting household waste sorting and processing, alongside marine ecosystem restoration, to achieve sustainable tourism.
“Waste is no longer seen solely as a burden to be discarded, but as a resource that can be processed and reused,” Thousand Islands Regent Muhammad Fadjar Churniawan said in Jakarta on Sunday.
He said three main areas were central to sustainable environmental development in the Thousand Islands: waste-free tourism, marine ecosystem development and community economic empowerment.
For waste-free tourism, measures are being taken under Jakarta Governor’s Instruction No. 5 of 2026. The administration says that 100 per cent of households are now sorting their waste.
It is also developing Pramuka and Bidadari islands towards a zero-waste model. The initiative is intended to create clean and comfortable tourist areas while maintaining responsibility for environmental conservation.
To develop marine ecosystems, the regency is continuing efforts to restore and conserve the marine environment through coral reef repairs, coral and seagrass transplantation, and the use of bamboo to make fish shelters.
These efforts are expected to support the recovery of marine habitats while safeguarding coastal and marine resources, which are among the Thousand Islands’ main attractions.
Thirdly, community economic empowerment involves encouraging residents to participate in the circular economy through waste sorting, processing and reuse.
He said plastic, textile and nappy waste, previously considered to have no value, could be brought into the circular economy. Organic waste, meanwhile, can be turned into products such as liquid and solid fertiliser, as well as biomass briquettes for alternative energy.
He added that, through collaboration between the government, communities, businesses and other stakeholders, the Thousand Islands Regency was seeking to build an environmental management system focused not only on cleanliness, but also on ecosystem conservation and improving residents’ welfare.
“By making Pramuka Island a model for ‘My Island, Zero Waste’, we hope this will become a collective movement growing from households to tourist areas, enabling Pramuka to inspire other islands in the Thousand Islands to pursue sustainable tourism,” he said.
The Thousand Islands stopped sending waste to the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site on 1 August 2026. Regent Muhammad Fadjar Churniawan has also designated Pramuka Island as a model ‘Zero Waste Island’, as part of a commitment to a clean, thriving and sustainable island environment.
“The inhabited island selected as a pilot for this programme is Pramuka Island, in the Pulau Panggang urban village, North Thousand Islands district,” Muhammad Fadjar Churniawan said.