The Ministry of Environment and Forestry has stressed on the need for changing public behavior and implementing better strategies to manage Indonesia’s waste problem.

“(Our) Waste problem is indeed extraordinary (complicated). Every day we produce waste. In one day, the assumed waste production in big cities is 0.7 kg per person. Meanwhile, the assumed waste production in small cities is usually 0.5 kg per person," director general of waste and B3 (hazardous and toxic materials) management at the ministry, Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, told the press at the opening of the 2021 National Waste Care Virtual Festival here on Monday.

Waste production by the community involves throwing away leftovers and single-use plastic bags, which, in turn, contribute to the growing pile of waste, she observed.

That fact further emphasizes the importance of better waste management, because most of the landfills in Indonesia still use an open dumping system without any treatment at all, she said.

“Others (trash) are dumped into the neighborhood illegally," she added.

The director general then emphasized the need for educating and raising awareness among the people so that they can change such habits.

During the event, the ministry's waste management director, Novrizal Tahar, said the 2021 National Garbage Care Festival is being held virtually to showcase the various achievements made in waste management in Indonesia.

The achievements include the formation of waste banks by communities, and waste reduction carried out by producers and various other parties, which are expected to serve as examples in increasing waste management capacity, he informed.

The government is targeting to achieve a waste management capacity of up to 100 percent by 2025, 30 percent in waste reduction and 70 percent in handling, Tahar said.

“This (virtual event) is also an effort to share knowledge, so that success stories in other places can be transmitted quickly to other areas," he added. (Antaranews)