Unravelling Waste, Safeguarding the City

Surabaya (ANTARA) - An expired medicine packet, a disposable syringe, used batteries, or residual chemicals from business activities often appear as small items whose purpose is finished once discarded. Yet, in the wrong hands and the wrong place, these objects can transform into a threat that moves silently. It can dissolve with rainwater, seep into the ground, be carried into waterways, and then settle as a risk to the environment and public health. Hazardous and toxic waste, or B3 waste, does not always present itself in dramatic forms. Rather, it often emerges from everyday habits considered ordinary.

In a dense city like Surabaya, this issue becomes increasingly critical. A city with continuously moving trade, healthcare services, industry, education, and residential activities generates not only large volumes of general waste but also waste requiring special treatment.

Data from the Surabaya City Environmental Agency (DLH) shows that throughout 2024, 1,011 tonnes of B3 waste were recorded in the monitoring system. Of this, 965 tonnes have been managed, while 46 tonnes remain stored in temporary shelters. This represents a management rate of approximately 95 percent. This figure deserves appreciation. However, the five percent that remains unmanaged cannot be viewed as a small remainder. In the context of B3 waste, a single medicine packet thrown into a water channel or a bag of medical waste mixed with household rubbish can cause an impact far greater than its size.

The 95 percent achievement indicates Surabaya is moving in the right direction. Monitoring through the Digital Reporting and Evaluation System (SPEED) provides a crucial foundation for more measurable governance. The city is no longer relying solely on manual reports but is building data-based oversight regarding the amount of waste generated, managed, and still stored. This approach is vital because the problem of B3 waste cannot be adequately addressed by downstream clean-up efforts alone. The government must know where the waste originates, what types are produced, who manages it, and where it moves after leaving its source.

The legal framework is already in place. Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021 governs the management of B3 waste as part of environmental protection and management, including guidance, supervision, and the imposition of administrative sanctions for violations. However, regulations and applications do not automatically resolve all issues. The biggest challenge lies in the gap between policy and habit.

In healthcare facilities, medical waste is commonly separated because procedures and supervision exist. In households, the situation is more complex. Expired medicines, syrup bottles, health test kits, used patient masks, and insulin needles still potentially end up in ordinary rubbish bags. When mixed, the risk transfers not only to disposal sites but also to transport workers, scavengers, and the surrounding environment. Therefore, B3 waste management cannot be viewed solely as the concern of the government or hospitals. It is a matter of a chain of responsibility. Producers, businesses, healthcare facilities, the government, and citizens all have inseparable roles to play.