Remote farming communities in East Java are struggling with plastic pollution impacting their farming areas, community health and environment. Disadvantaged by distances of over 500km to the closest regional recycling plant, much of the waste plastics in these remote regions are dumped in rivers, empty land sites or burnt in backyards.

The ‘Leaf Project’ was established as a ‘Hub & Spoke’ plastic recycling project in Jember, East Java. Sponsored by Sampoerna Indonesia, this project aimed to eliminate plastic pollution and provide recycling solutions for remote regional farmers disadvantaged by plastic pollution. As this project occurred during the Covid pandemic, it was necessary to engage local Javanese consultants who could facilitate the installation of the project in partnership with Plastic Collective Australia.

Thirty plastic collection sites were surveyed throughout the tobacco and clove growing region between Jember and Bondowoso, with the aim of selecting a suitable Hub site and 20 Plastic Collection Banks for the plastic material recovery, Pak Muji’s site was selected as the most suitable Hub location, surrounded by local Waste Collection Banks. Muji’s Hub required securing a 3 year lease on a suitable facility, repairing the damaged roof and installing suitable equipment for the granulating and baling of salable plastic materials in Surabaya – the local manufacturing region. Existing collection activities were reviewed and provided with training and equipment to collect, sort and sell both kerbside hard and soft plastics. Education was a key component of this project, and ensuring compliance to environmental standards are followed, to prevent the discarding of waste materials through burning and dumping.

DELIVERY DATE: 

April 2021

PC SYSTEM INSTALLED:

Concentration Recycling Station – Granulator & Baler
Digital System

TRAINING:

Global Plastic Problem
Plastics Knowledge
Operations (Recovery/Concentration)

OTHER:

EEC, SWP