The government is currently preparing the derivative regulations of an existing regulation for the electronic waste management operation, waste management director at the Environment and Forestry Ministry Novrizal Tahar has informed.
The government is seeking to create a system to bridge waste collection and provide a space for social ecopreneurs, which they will register, to cooperate with producers for waste collection, he told ANTARA here on Wednesday.
The regulation that he referred to is Governmental Regulation No. 27 of 2020 on specific waste management. The regulation assigns the responsibility of managing electronic waste to three entities.
They comprise regional governments, producers who make electronic goods and therefore, bear extended producer responsibility (EPR), as well as waste processors in residential and commercial areas.
The biggest challenge to the collection of electronic waste comes from households: People either tend to throw away electronic waste along with household waste or store used electronic goods, which can spread dangerous radiation.
According to Tahar, the government will pilot electronic waste management in several Indonesian cities first rather than implementing it in all provinces.
One of the electronic waste management systems that already exist is in Jakarta, where people can use the electronic waste pick-up services offered by the Jakarta Environment and Forestry Office by showing their Jakarta Identity Card (KTP), he informed.
The waste is then delivered to hazardous and toxic waste processing facilities and processed properly so that it can be recycled into a new material or product.
The Jakarta government has also installed drop boxes at several public places such as shopping centers, MRT stations, and TransJakarta bus stops. This concept will also be applied in several other cities in Indonesia.
Tahar said he also expects electronic producers to initiate take-back or trade-in programs to tackle the environmental issue.
This is because EPR has become an important concept for handling waste, including used electronic waste.
He also said that many companies have take-back or trade-in programs, and he has spoken with some of the companies.
Source: Antara News