Project Stop not stopping just yet: extended to East Java

Besides PET, other types of plastics such as PE bottles or PP cups are collected and recycled in Indonesia. The government has been working on developing strategies and roadmaps to address plastic waste and promote recycling practices. In 2019, it adopted a regulation aiming to reduce waste by 30% by 2029.

Also in Indonesia, Project Stop, co-founded by Austria’s Borealis and Systemiq, has already marked milestones and made impacts in the country. From the inception of Project Stop to the end of December 2023, around 400,000 individuals gained access to comprehensive waste services through the project. Many are now using formal waste collection services for the first time, which is an important step in improving community well-being and environmental sustainability

Since its inception in 2017, it has worked hand-in-hand with its governmental and non-governmental partners, has created almost 300 full-time jobs across all Project Stop locations. These jobs vary from waste collection and material sorting to waste system management and administrative roles.

Furthermore, more than 60,000 tonnes of waste, including nearly 9,000 tonnes of plastic, have been successfully collected as of December 2023.

The project’s ‘system enabler’ approach entails building the waste management system together with governments at the local level over several years, then stepping back so that the local units of governance can fully operate their own systems.

In 2023, Project Stop handed over operations in its second and third cities – Pasuruan and Jembrana – after nearly four years operating on the ground in each location.

Now, Project Stop Banyuwangi Hijau, in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, is focusing on the full regency level and shifted into implementation mode by opening a large-scale materials recovery facility (MRF) and launching initial service rollouts. Only three months after its inauguration in September 2023, the facility is already providing access to waste services to more than 13,500 individuals in 12 villages.

The program has built upon a long-standing strategic partnership with the Banyuwangi government, a collaboration highlighted by the direct backing of Ipuk Fiestiandani, the Banyuwangi Regent. She has emphasised the ongoing global waste issue and stressed the imperative need for cooperation among stakeholders to prevent environmental waste leakage.

The success of Project Stop can be largely attributed to its collaborations and close relationships with various Indonesian government bodies, including the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs (CMMAI), the National Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) and the Banyuwangi regency government.

Ultimately, the Project Stop partners are aiming to provide waste collection services to 2 million people, creating over 1,000 jobs and collecting 230,000 tonnes/year of waste, including 25,000 tonnes of plastic.

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