National Waste Care Day 2021: Boosting Rural Economic Sustainability through Integrated Waste Management

The Waste issue requires serious solution. The active participation of the community in sorting and managing waste, especially the household and environmental waste, plays an important role. Since 2015, integrated community waste management has been a community empowerment program around Shell Indonesia Lubricants Plant in Marunda, Bekasi. The program, called Desa BERSEMI (Bersih, Sehat dan Mandiri) or Clean, Healthy and Empowered Village is a waste management initiative with a circular economic approach that turns waste into products of economic value.

HPSN 2021 commemoration’s theme “Sampah Bahan Baku Ekonomi di Masa Pandemi” or “Waste as Economic Raw Materials during Pandemic”, is one of the government’s focus areas to strengthen public participation in efforts to make waste as a product that has economic value through waste sorting movement. Dian Andyasuri, President Director and Country Chair of Shell Indonesia said that the activities of sorting and processing household activities has become a part instilled by Shell Indonesia to the people participating in the BERSEMI Village program.

“Shell Indonesia’s collaboration with the community and other stakeholders in Desa BERSEMI program has delivered positive contributions to village development. This program is in line with circular economy practices and government’s focus area to strengthen public participation in sorting, recycling and making waste as raw materials to support economic activities,” Dian said.

Boosting Rural Development through Waste Circular Economy

Desa BERSEMI program has directly contributed economic, social and environmental benefits to communities. Having concerned about the acute local waste management issue in the area, Shell Indonesia and some residents have made initiative to turn waste into additional source of income to villagers. Through a range of coaching and training activities, the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) behaviors gradually become a culture among the communities participating in this program in the villages of Segara Makmur, Pantai Makmur and Samudera Jaya. 

Desa BERSEMI Program trains and fosters the community in managing organic waste into fertilizer, using their house land for agriculture (urban farming), producing and selling the local harvest-based snacks as well as utilizing plastic waste to start micro handicraft businesses and producing fuel. In addition to the waste recycling itself, the community also gains direct economic benefits through ‘Bank Sampah’ or Waste Bank in Segara Makmur Village that encourages the community to ‘save’ inorganic waste, such as plastic, metal, glass and paper.

By ‘saving’ the waste, the community gets the funds recorded in their respective passbooks and is withdrawable when they need them. Meanwhile, the waste deposits in Waste Bank are sold to garbage collectors. Today, more than 10 microbusinesses have been created from the waste management program and more than 200 families who benefit socially, economically and environmentally.

The success of waste management in Desa BERSEMI Program has closely related to active roles cadres who are enthusiastic and have high commitment to making transformation in waste management, playing role model and consistently encouraging the communities’ environmental roles. Eusebia Markhesy and Rokaya are among cadres who have actively encouraged environmental conservation. They are also role model in managing waste in household as small-scale waste circular economy practice.

“I encourage my neighbors to actively participate in daily household waste management. I am glad to see the plastic waste that was used to be the useless garbage, can now be recycled into various saleable handicrafts, and contribute additional source of income to us,” said Eusebia who has joined Desa BERSEMI program since its establishment.

She has also proactively raised the interest among local Family Welfare Movement (PKK) cadres to join the plastic waste management program. She is committed to raising awareness of each resident about the great benefits of recycling waste, such like turning plastic waste into flower vase or other household utensils and making compost fertilizer from kitchen waste.

Meanwhile, Rokaya who is active in Desa BERSEMI program’s supported Rumah Pangan Lestari (RPL) has used the money raised from plant sales to develop raw materials for herbal medicines and local snacks production for sale to the communities. She aspired to see RPL providing business opportunities to communities, and further supporting the economic growth of the village, which will definitely improve communities’ awareness about importance of environmental conservation.

“I am encouraged to grow a range of plants with selling value, like vegetables, herbs and spices to increase family income and regreen the village,” Rokaya said. 

The environmental care movement committed by Eusebia and Rokaya in Desa BERSEMI program has underscored one of communities’ active roles in solving waste issues in villages as well as implementing Circular Economy vision, in which the waste no longer becomes mere pollutant. On this National Waste Care Day, Shell Indonesia hopes to see more environmental cadres who drive communities to create an advanced, clean and sustainable Indonesia.