Waste Sorting in Malaka Sari Aims for Benyamin S Award
Residents of Malaka Sari, Duren Sawit District, East Jakarta, are implementing waste management and sorting practices starting from their own homes. In addition to reducing waste volume and protecting the environment, this activity is also aimed at winning the Benyability S Award organised by the Jakarta Provincial Government.
Malaka Sari Village held a Waste Sorting and Processing Festival on Tuesday (6/10) to intensify this movement. Esther, a local resident, stated that she and her neighbours have been sorting waste at home for a long time. “We sort it; the kitchen waste is separated on its own,” said Esther.
As a result, the waste placed in bins is already separated into organic and non-organic categories. “So, our bin contents are reduced because we sort them very thoroughly,” Esther added.
A designated officer is responsible for collecting residual or non-organic waste that has been sorted from residents’ homes. Meanwhile, organic waste is processed independently by residents into compost.
Beyond general waste, Esther mentioned that used cooking oil from residents is also collected rather than discarded, to be processed into soap. This processed soap was showcased during the Malaka Sari Waste Sorting and Processing Festival.
ASRI Waste Bank
Residents collect non-organic waste, such as plastics, through the ASRI Waste Bank. The concept functions like a savings account: the more waste ‘deposited’, the more money is generated. Regularly ‘saving’ waste in the waste bank has proven beneficial for residents, including Esther. “The last one was Rp750,000,” she said.
This income can be used for children’s snacks and daily necessities. Another resident, Sere, noted that the waste bank was initially formed in 2009. In 2010, the area participated in an environmental competition, which provided training and encouraged various community groups to participate in environmental management.
In 2011, the waste bank was established independently using available materials and donations from residents. The local habit of sorting waste has been in place since 2011, meaning the new waste regulations issued by the Jakarta Provincial Government did not come as a surprise to them. “Since 2011, our residents have been used to sorting waste. It is not yet 100 per cent, but we already know the impact,” she said.
Consequently, when the policy for mandatory waste sorting was introduced, residents were well-prepared. The ASRI Waste Bank and the environmental preservation system have ultimately become the strengths of Malaka Sari Village.
Malaka Sari, East Jakarta, is now one of the ten finalists for the Benyamin S Award (BSA). The BSA is an award programme organised by the Jakarta Provincial Government to encourage sub-districts to build cleaner, more comfortable, beautiful, and prosperous environments.