TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment said the government is optimistic that it can achieve the target of reducing marine plastic waste by 70 percent by 2025. This was conveyed by Rofi Alhanif, the coordinating ministry's assistant deputy for waste management, at a press conference before the ASEAN Conference for Combatting Plastic Pollution (ACCPP) 2023 to be held on October 17, 2023.

"We are optimistic [to achieve this] with the collaboration of all parties," he said at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, Central Jakarta, on Monday, October 16, 2023.

He said that the government managed to reduce plastic waste thrown into the sea by 36 percent in 2018-2022. As the data for 2023 has not yet been calculated, plus 2024 and 2025, there are still three years left to achieve the target. "It should be achievable."

Rofi said Indonesia was facing issues not only with plastic waste but also with waste management. He hoped the country could do a better job in managing plastic waste. “This should not disrupt our economy in terms of plastic production and so on,” he added.

According to him, collaboration between countries, especially ASEAN, is necessary to achieve the goal. That is why Indonesia holds ACCPP 2023 to gather groups to share their experiences on how to reduce plastic waste in the sea.

ASEAN countries shared similar issues, he informed. Developing countries cannot be likened to developed ones where their people recycle their waste in an orderly manner. “Hopefully, ASEAN can have a unified understanding and share experiences.”

Rofi also said that ASEAN has a pivotal role to play in reducing marine plastic waste. “This is not just the government's job. It is the job of all of us from industry, society, and waste recyclers,” he concluded.

MOH. KHORY ALFARIZI

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