Paper Company Faces Protest Over New Recycling System

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Hundreds of residents in Banten Province bordering Jakarta in the east staged a protest on Tuesday (23/2) outside the plant of a paper producer PT Indah Kiat over recent change in the company's waste handling system which costs them their additional income.Residents from three villages in Kragilan Subdistrict near the Jakarta - Serang interprovincial highway joined to protest the new waste management system, which completely hand over waste recycling rights to a partner company.Disappointed residents became emotional as negotiation with the company on Tuesday noon stalled, and began to try to break in to the facility through several access. They demanded the company to return to the previous waste disposal system which gave the locals rights to recycle production waste like cut papers, wires, or plastic, as part of the compensation agreement for the locals at the start of the company's operation in 2009.We lost Rp10,000 to Rp15,000 per day. Right now the community are not getting their share. a protester, Saefullah said. Residents even toppled a gate at the rear entry of the facility but failed to break into the tight police barricades, and relocate their force to the nearby Jakarta Serang highway and blocked the road.Spokesman for Indah Kiat Arif madali said the company have appointed a middleman to handle and simplify repurchase of the recycled waste as direct purchase to local recyclers, the company said was complicated. Coordinator of the protest Djunaedi threatened to bring more protesters if their demand is rejected.WASI'UL ULUM