Understanding Material Recovery Facility Operational Scale: Environmental Minister's Upstream Solution Towards a Clean Indonesia
Environmental Minister and Head of Environmental Control Agency, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, has emphasised that the key to resolving Indonesia’s national waste crisis lies in strengthening upstream infrastructure. One vital instrument being promoted is the development of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) at various strategic scales.
During his working visits in early 2026, Minister Hanif highlighted three primary MRF scales that regional governments must implement immediately:
Regional-Scale MRF
This scale is designed to handle waste from several administrative regions simultaneously. With processing capacity exceeding 100 tonnes per day, regional-scale MRF enables the use of advanced technology such as infra-red sensors for plastic sorting. Minister Hanif noted that this model is particularly suitable for agglomeration areas such as Jabodetabek and Bandung Raya.
Commercial and Industrial Site MRF
In accordance with Law No. 18 of 2008, the Environmental Minister has mandated that commercial areas (shopping centres, hotels) and industrial zones possess independent sorting facilities. The objective is to reduce the burden of waste transportation to final disposal sites (TPA), which currently face critical conditions or overload.
The implementation of large-scale MRF is expected not only to resolve environmental issues but also to create economic value. The Environmental Minister’s vision through standardised MRF scales is to break Indonesia’s dependence on open dumping methods. With measured and integrated facilities, waste ceases to be an environmental burden and becomes a resource supporting the national circular economy.
Regarding the main targets for MRF in 2026, the priority is to ensure that no unsorted waste enters final disposal sites, preventing environmental disasters such as waste landslides. The central government is providing funding support through special allocation schemes (DAK) and encouraging public-private partnership schemes to attract private investment in large-scale MRF development.
In a related initiative, the Environmental Minister has requested that waste management at Kampung Rambutan Terminal be upgraded to MRF scale, with optimal operational targets to be achieved within three months to address the 15 tonnes of daily waste.