Anies Baswedan Responds to Leonardo DiCaprio's Remark on Waste

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan responded to the statement made by US actor Leonardo DiCaprio about the mountain of garbage in Bantargebang landfill, Bekasi. The Hollywood actor, who is also an environmental activist, said he was concerned about the waste piled there.

"Yes, garbage is staked up, and that is something everyone knows. He (Leonardo DiCaprio) did not talk about a new issue," said Anies on Pramuka Island, Thousand Islands regency, Friday, March 22.

Anies said he was overwhelmed by Indonesians who massively discussed the matter after it was highlighted by a foreigner. While in fact, it was not a secret that garbage in Bantargebang has piled up.

“Before I’m elected as the governor, the waste is already piled up there,” Anies remarked. 

Read: Anies Targets ITF Sunter Manages 2,000 Tons of Garbage Daily

On March 15, Leonardo DiCaprio  uploaded a photo displaying the condition of Bantargebang on his Instagram account @leonardodicaprio. Leonardo said that Bantar Gebang received the waste of about 15 million residents of Jakarta.

He also highlighted the fact that Indonesia was the world’s second largest polluter of plastic waste after China. "The country produces 187.2 million tonnes of plastic waste each year of which more than 1 million tons leaks into the ocean," Leonardo wrote.

In response to the issue, Anies underlined the Jakarta provincial administration was striving to reduce the garbage piles. One of its efforts is by building the waste power plant or an intermediate treatment facility (ITF), which is under construction in Sunter, North Jakarta.

"We are building one facility, and it's already in progress. Then we will build 3 or 4 more, God willing. So the waste can be converted into energy," Anies Baswedan concluded.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH