1.2 Million Tons Waste Leak into the Sea Each Year in Indonesia

TheIndonesia.co - The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment stated that during 2018-2020 the number of waste leaks into the sea decreased by 15.3 percent. While Directorate of Waste Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) said the total Indonesian marine debris reaches nearly 1.2 million tons per year.

"In the past two years, we have calculated and simulated the figures, that in general (in general) we have been able to reduce 15.3 percent of the entry of garbage into the sea," said Assistant Deputy for Waste and Waste Management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenko Marves) Rofi Alhanif in the webinar "Marine Debris: Challenges, Responses, Innovations, Solutions, and Opportunities" in Jakarta, Tuesday, December 14, 2021.

Rofi said the achievement of 15 percent in two years was still far from the target of reducing marine debris to 70 percent by 2025. Moreover, the main leakage of plastic waste still comes from land.

"The target is indeed ambitious, but we must pursue it as best we can. I am sure that if we take action simultaneously on how to reduce waste, God willing, we can achieve it," he added.

Indonesia is targeting a reduction in marine debris of up to 70 percent by 2025 as stated in Presidential Regulation no. 83 of 2018 concerning the Handling of Marine Debris. There are five National Action Plans (RAN) to implement these targets, the national movement to increase stakeholder awareness; waste management on land; waste management in coastal and marine areas; funding mechanisms, institutional strengthening, supervision, and regulation; and research and development.

"We are currently only on the downstream side, about how to handle the waste. But we forget that the garbage that comes is much bigger. It's like a bathtub, we just empty it with a small dipper, but the water still comes in with a larger amount. Still the garbage overflowing. So in addition to handling and reducing it, we must also close the source of waste that enters the sea," he said.

Ujang Solihin Sidik, Head of Sub-Sector of Goods and Packaging, Directorate of Waste Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) said the total Indonesian marine debris reaches nearly 1.2 million tons per year.

However, figures from the National Coordination Team for the Handling of Marine Debris in the field recorded a maximum number of 500 thousand tons.

"This is still a lot. But from 2018 to 2020, there has been a 15.3 percent decrease in marine debris from the results of calculations and simulations carried out by the implementing team from 56 action plan activities in Presidential Decree 83/2018. The target is still long," said Ujang .