TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa urged the region’s paper industry to be extra cautious upon importing scrap paper waste and make sure that the imported items are not mixed with harmful materials such as plastic waste.

East Java paper makers have long used scrap paper from European countries and the United States as raw material upon producing paper.

“I ask for paper factories using scrap papers as raw materials to be able to better communicate with the exporters since there are risks of returning them [if it is found to contain wastes other than paper],” said Khofifah during a visit to the Desa Bangun village in Mojokerto on Wednesday, June 19.

The majority of Desa Bangun residents make a living by becoming scavengers and waste sorters of wastes from local paper factories.

The scrap paper imports that end up in East Java became the center of attention after it was found that the imported scrap papers had contained plastic household wastes.

Khofifah reminded that scrap paper import is legally based on the international convention of Basel and according to the Trade Ministry’s decree No.31/2016 but would be a problem once the scrap papers are mixed with dangerous wastes.

ISHOMUDDIN (CONTRIBUTOR)