West Java to Mandate Waste Plastic Deposits for Subsidised Schools

The West Java Provincial Government is preparing a progressive scheme to address the environmental crisis. Governor Dedi Mulyadi plans to require all students at state and private schools receiving subsidies to deposit clean plastic waste at their schools every day. This measure is part of an integrated waste sorting system that will be managed in cooperation with the recycling industry. The policy will also be integrated into the Natural Sciences curriculum for primary, junior high, senior high, and vocational schools across West Java. “I will set a requirement for subsidised schools that have partnered with a company managing waste into industrial materials, so they can bring clean plastic waste to school every day,” Dedi Mulyadi said while attending the ‘Jawa Barat Berseka’ waste sorting rally in Arcamanik, Bandung, on Friday. Beyond primary and secondary education, Dedi is also encouraging higher education institutions such as universities, institutes, and colleges in West Java to adopt a similar model. He proposed that waste management could be structured as a credit-based academic load for one semester. To strengthen implementation, the provincial government is currently drafting a Gubernatorial Regulation prohibiting littering. This regulation will include strict sanctions, ranging from financial fines to binding penalties for violators. Dedi highlighted a social shift where people are more inclined to record videos than to take real action, such as picking up litter or helping others in public spaces. He believes a regulatory educational approach is necessary to systemically change public behaviour. Through the ‘Jawa Barat Berseka’ (Clean, Neat, and Beautiful) movement, the provincial government is targeting more comprehensive waste management. In addition to plastic waste, the programme aims to fully absorb organic waste from households and schools to be processed into organic fertiliser, supporting regional food productivity in West Java.