TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta provincial government is reportedly considering the construction of an island in the Thousand Islands as a landfill or a ‘waste island’. Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, Director General of Waste Management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), said her side acknowledged informal discussions with Jakarta officials regarding the waste island proposal.

“Regarding the waste island, I haven’t been informed formally,” Vivien said when met on the sidelines of the National Coordination Meeting for the Management of Waste, Garbage, and Hazardous Toxic Materials at the JW Marriot Hotel, Jakarta, Tuesday, July 16.

According to her, the details including the concept and design remain unclear. “It’s been discussed with us, but informally. We haven’t heard about the big plan, the design.”

Vivien hoped that the waste island would only accommodate residual waste after processing and supported the construction of a new final disposal site.

“Considering that the Bantargebang landfill is almost full, and the waste in Jakarta is around 8,000 tons per day. It's indeed big,” she added.

Vivien further commended Jakarta's existing waste management initiatives, including integrated waste disposal sites with Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) technology and well-managed waste banks. Additionally, Jakarta encouraged waste management independence for industrial and commercial areas, reducing reliance on state-run waste collection.

Previously, Jakarta Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono proposed building the waste island due to concerns about the city’s exhausting landfill space within the next decade. He envisioned the island serving not only Jakarta but also surrounding areas like Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Bodetabek).

IRSYAN HASYIM

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