Last year, specifically in August, as you may know I have started transitioning into a zero-waste/low-impact lifestyle. It has changed my life in such a profound way, particularly in four different aspects: purchasing, consumption, transport and waste. In terms of purchasing, I have become more selective about the products that I buy—especially influenced by its packaging. In terms of consumption, I become more aware of what I actually use and how I use them. Transport-wise, I try to choose my method wisely to truly cut down my carbon footprint and be more efficient. Lastly, with waste, aside from substituting a lot of materials, I also start to thoroughly sort my waste and deposit them at the waste bank. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me basic questions about it as it is a complete mystery to her—and probably to so many other Indonesia citizens too. It’s inspired me to write down all I know about waste-sorting in this country into a blog post. Hope this helps!
Last year, specifically in August, as you may know I have started transitioning into a zero-waste/low-impact lifestyle. It has changed my life in such a profound way, particularly in four different aspects: purchasing, consumption, transport and waste. In terms of purchasing, I have become more selective about the products that I buy—especially influenced by its packaging. In terms of consumption, I become more aware of what I actually use and how I use them. Transport-wise, I try to choose my method wisely to truly cut down my carbon footprint and be more efficient. Lastly, with waste, aside from substituting a lot of materials, I also start to thoroughly sort my waste and deposit them at the waste bank. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me basic questions about it as it is a complete mystery to her—and probably to so many other Indonesia citizens too. It’s inspired me to write down all I know about waste-sorting in this country into a blog post. Hope this helps!
What
Before we get started with anything else, I thought it would be best to walk you through what normally happens to our daily trash, when we throw them away to the bin. According to the Ministry of Environment, there are five endings promised for waste in Indonesia: sending to landfills, burying, composting and recycling, incineration and unmanaged—with landfills comprising a total of 69% and recycling only 7%. However, more than 90% of regencies or towns in Indonesia still use the open dumping/landfill or incineration method. To put those numbers into perspective, Indonesian citizens produce around 75,000 tons of waste per day—or 64 million tons per year. While recycling has been executed by the government, it usually spans only on a regional scale—which means it’s safe to say, that most of our trash will most likely end up in landfills.
With that knowledge in mind—unfortunately—it means that even if you separate your waste at home, it is highly likely that they will be mixed, when getting picked up, and dumped onto landfills. This means they will be hard—if not impossible—to recycle or compost. Personally, for me, it sadly means that I need to find another alternative to what kind of ending I want for my waste—and probably not leave them to the government. Because, as I’ve mentioned before, going completely zero waste is still pretty much impossible—especially in this country—I’ve opted for the next best thing: waste banks. It is a place where you can deposit your recyclables and get paid for it—isn’t that great? The recyclables will then get recycled or upcycled accordingly. This post will mostly talk you through the process of waste banks.
Before we get started with anything else, I thought it would be best to walk you through what normally happens to our daily trash, when we throw them away to the bin. According to the Ministry of Environment, there are five endings promised for waste in Indonesia: sending to landfills, burying, composting and recycling, incineration and unmanaged—with landfills comprising a total of 69% and recycling only 7%. However, more than 90% of regencies or towns in Indonesia still use the open dumping/landfill or incineration method. To put those numbers into perspective, Indonesian citizens produce around 75,000 tons of waste per day—or 64 million tons per year. While recycling has been executed by the government, it usually spans only on a regional scale—which means it’s safe to say, that most of our trash will most likely end up in landfills.
With that knowledge in mind—unfortunately—it means that even if you separate your waste at home, it is highly likely that they will be mixed, when getting picked up, and dumped onto landfills. This means they will be hard—if not impossible—to recycle or compost. Personally, for me, it sadly means that I need to find another alternative to what kind of ending I want for my waste—and probably not leave them to the government. Because, as I’ve mentioned before, going completely zero waste is still pretty much impossible—especially in this country—I’ve opted for the next best thing: waste banks. It is a place where you can deposit your recyclables and get paid for it—isn’t that great? The recyclables will then get recycled or upcycled accordingly. This post will mostly talk you through the process of waste banks.
Where
First of all, I think it’s important to note that the waste bank I go to is part of a regional government project in South Tangerang—which is supposed to exist in every hamlet (a.k.a. RW in Indonesian). I’m not sure if it exists in all parts of the country, but you can try to find it near you here or here. Aside from those websites, some waste banks across the nation actually have their own website—which can be really useful. A simple internet search gave me this one in Malang and this one in Pamulang. You can also go to social media to find them—in fact, there are so many on instagram; I’m not even going to attempt to list them all. The one I usually go to is Bank Sampah Jawara. They accept up to 32 categories of recyclable waste and are very eager to help newbies. If you live in their area, I would highly recommend going there.
Another option you can go for is to give your waste to organisations that are dedicated to recycling them. Unfortunately, for this option you will most likely not get paid for them—although, if you live near their headquarters, they might be willing to pick up your waste straight from your house. A great one that I’d recommend is Waste4Change. They are based in Bekasi, but will often open booths and accept waste donation at local events—which means they will be closer to your area accordingly. They have also placed numerous dropboxes at restaurants, co-working spaces and schools across the Jakarta area—unfortunately, you can’t donate too many there.
However, if after searching high and low on the internet and asking for recommendations, you still can’t find a waste bank or waste-managing organisations in your area, why don’t you start one yourself? I know, I know, it will take up a big chunk of your time and you will possibly need human resources, but it’ll become a sort of ripple that inspire people. Munasya.com has posted a step-by-step guide on how to build a waste bank—it should come in handy, if you’re interested.
First of all, I think it’s important to note that the waste bank I go to is part of a regional government project in South Tangerang—which is supposed to exist in every hamlet (a.k.a. RW in Indonesian). I’m not sure if it exists in all parts of the country, but you can try to find it near you here or here. Aside from those websites, some waste banks across the nation actually have their own website—which can be really useful. A simple internet search gave me this one in Malang and this one in Pamulang. You can also go to social media to find them—in fact, there are so many on instagram; I’m not even going to attempt to list them all. The one I usually go to is Bank Sampah Jawara. They accept up to 32 categories of recyclable waste and are very eager to help newbies. If you live in their area, I would highly recommend going there.
Another option you can go for is to give your waste to organisations that are dedicated to recycling them. Unfortunately, for this option you will most likely not get paid for them—although, if you live near their headquarters, they might be willing to pick up your waste straight from your house. A great one that I’d recommend is Waste4Change. They are based in Bekasi, but will often open booths and accept waste donation at local events—which means they will be closer to your area accordingly. They have also placed numerous dropboxes at restaurants, co-working spaces and schools across the Jakarta area—unfortunately, you can’t donate too many there.
However, if after searching high and low on the internet and asking for recommendations, you still can’t find a waste bank or waste-managing organisations in your area, why don’t you start one yourself? I know, I know, it will take up a big chunk of your time and you will possibly need human resources, but it’ll become a sort of ripple that inspire people. Munasya.com has posted a step-by-step guide on how to build a waste bank—it should come in handy, if you’re interested.
How
Now comes the jackpot: let’s talk about how to actually sort your waste to be more effective—or, at least, how I’ve been doing it for the past 6 months. First of all, I should tell you that my way of sorting the waste follows the guidelines of the waste bank I’ve been going to for the past few months. It might differ from the way your waste bank might advise you to sort your waste, but if you’re just starting to sort waste altogether, it might be a good starting point. Also, it might not be thorough, so read it with a grain of salt. Okay, let’s start with the categories—there are a total of 8 main categories in my household: clear plastic bottles; thick plastic packaging; bottle caps; plastic in general; paper and cardboard; drink carton/tetrapak; aluminum, cans and glass; and organic waste. What do these consist of? Glad you asked.
Now comes the jackpot: let’s talk about how to actually sort your waste to be more effective—or, at least, how I’ve been doing it for the past 6 months. First of all, I should tell you that my way of sorting the waste follows the guidelines of the waste bank I’ve been going to for the past few months. It might differ from the way your waste bank might advise you to sort your waste, but if you’re just starting to sort waste altogether, it might be a good starting point. Also, it might not be thorough, so read it with a grain of salt. Okay, let’s start with the categories—there are a total of 8 main categories in my household: clear plastic bottles; thick plastic packaging; bottle caps; plastic in general; paper and cardboard; drink carton/tetrapak; aluminum, cans and glass; and organic waste. What do these consist of? Glad you asked.
Clear Plastic Bottles
Pretty self-explanatory. This category consists strictly of plastic bottles—specifically the clear, transparent ones. The bottle caps and labels are removed and included into other categories—the bottle caps have their own category and the labels go to the general plastic category. Waste banks will rate the price higher for this. They should always be washed beforehand—especially when their contents were oily and/or sticky. If the caps are not easily removable, we tend to cut off the top of the bottle along with the cap. If the labels are glued on—usually made out of paper—and aren’t easily removable, we tend not to remove them.
Clear Plastic Bottles
Pretty self-explanatory. This category consists strictly of plastic bottles—specifically the clear, transparent ones. The bottle caps and labels are removed and included into other categories—the bottle caps have their own category and the labels go to the general plastic category. Waste banks will rate the price higher for this. They should always be washed beforehand—especially when their contents were oily and/or sticky. If the caps are not easily removable, we tend to cut off the top of the bottle along with the cap. If the labels are glued on—usually made out of paper—and aren’t easily removable, we tend not to remove them.
Thick Plastic Packaging
Mainly consisting of bottle packagings, this category is a bit more diverse. Usually it includes toiletries bottles—i.e., shampoo and shower gel bottle, toothpaste packaging—and milky bottles—i.e., yoghurt and yakult bottle. The plastic that qualifies for this category are usually made of relatively thick materials, which tend to hold their form very well. They are either really hard to crush or close to impossible. Even if they are clear and transparent, if they’re made up of thick materials, they belong here—i.e, fruit packaging and bottles for honey. They all should be washed thoroughly, with their caps removed.
Thick Plastic Packaging
Mainly consisting of bottle packagings, this category is a bit more diverse. Usually it includes toiletries bottles—i.e., shampoo and shower gel bottle, toothpaste packaging—and milky bottles—i.e., yoghurt and yakult bottle. The plastic that qualifies for this category are usually made of relatively thick materials, which tend to hold their form very well. They are either really hard to crush or close to impossible. Even if they are clear and transparent, if they’re made up of thick materials, they belong here—i.e, fruit packaging and bottles for honey. They all should be washed thoroughly, with their caps removed.
Plastic Caps
Again, pretty self-explanatory. This category consists of all caps from all packagings. Whether they are bottle caps, milk carton caps, insecticide caps, toothpaste caps, they belong here—so long as they’re made out of plastic. They tend not to get dirty, so don’t need to be washed. They just need to be removed from the rest of the packaging one way or another. We usually store them on an old plastic bucket and bring them to the waste bank in a used plastic bag.
Plastic Caps
Again, pretty self-explanatory. This category consists of all caps from all packagings. Whether they are bottle caps, milk carton caps, insecticide caps, toothpaste caps, they belong here—so long as they’re made out of plastic. They tend not to get dirty, so don’t need to be washed. They just need to be removed from the rest of the packaging one way or another. We usually store them on an old plastic bucket and bring them to the waste bank in a used plastic bag.
Plastic (in General)
This category consists of any packaging that isn’t made out of the other categories. It includes typical packagings for food and clothing, chocolate wrappings, shopping bags, plastic ribbons, etc.—quite literally everything. They usually come in wrapping or sack form, not in bottle, cans or jar forms. Make sure they are clean of oil, meat residue, water droplets and any contents—so much better if they are dry. To save space, I often fold or scrunch up big ones. They are basically the uncategorised plastic ones—you can still divide them up, of course.
Plastic (in General)
This category consists of any packaging that isn’t made out of the other categories. It includes typical packagings for food and clothing, chocolate wrappings, shopping bags, plastic ribbons, etc.—quite literally everything. They usually come in wrapping or sack form, not in bottle, cans or jar forms. Make sure they are clean of oil, meat residue, water droplets and any contents—so much better if they are dry. To save space, I often fold or scrunch up big ones. They are basically the uncategorised plastic ones—you can still divide them up, of course.
Paper and Cardboard
Anything that is categorised as paper comes into this category—whether or not they are lined with plastic. Be it recycled paper, cardboard, laminated paper, HVS, carton, they fall into this category. They have to be dry—if it’s oily or drenched, they tend to be thrown away. They should also be cleaned off any crumbs. If the size of the paper is too big—like in the case of an actual cardboard box—they are folded into little pieces, to fit into the box we store them in. They are brought to the waste bank in a cardboard box—used ones from grocery stores—which also gets recycled.
Paper and Cardboard
Anything that is categorised as paper comes into this category—whether or not they are lined with plastic. Be it recycled paper, cardboard, laminated paper, HVS, carton, they fall into this category. They have to be dry—if it’s oily or drenched, they tend to be thrown away. They should also be cleaned off any crumbs. If the size of the paper is too big—like in the case of an actual cardboard box—they are folded into little pieces, to fit into the box we store them in. They are brought to the waste bank in a cardboard box—used ones from grocery stores—which also gets recycled.
Foil-Lined Paper
At first, this category consists only of drink cartons/tetrapaks, but now it has also included paper cans—i.e., Pringles cans. They have to be thoroughly cleaned—especially in the case of the drink cartons. If a milk or tea carton isn’t washed and dried, it tends to grow fungi quite quickly. What we usually do is open up the cartons, wash it with water—or even soap, when it’s necessary, which is almost never—and dry it out for a few hours. With the cans, we tend to just wash them a little bit and let them dry. They are also stored and brought to the waste bank in a used cardboard box.
Foil-Lined Paper
At first, this category consists only of drink cartons/tetrapaks, but now it has also included paper cans—i.e., Pringles cans. They have to be thoroughly cleaned—especially in the case of the drink cartons. If a milk or tea carton isn’t washed and dried, it tends to grow fungi quite quickly. What we usually do is open up the cartons, wash it with water—or even soap, when it’s necessary, which is almost never—and dry it out for a few hours. With the cans, we tend to just wash them a little bit and let them dry. They are also stored and brought to the waste bank in a used cardboard box.
Aluminium, Cans and Glass
Technically, this is three categories, but in our household it is mixed into one box. Let’s go through them one by one! Aluminium consists mainly of spray cans, while cans consist mainly of food cans. The one defining factor to distinguish between the two is their magnetism—cans are magnetic, aluminium isn’t. Also, cans tend to be thicker and heavier. Glass are, well, glass. In our household, they tend to come on bottle form—usually for syrups. They are always washed and dried. Broken or whole, our waste bank accepts glass of any form. Aside from those three main categories, electronic waste also tend to go here.
Aluminium, Cans and Glass
Technically, this is three categories, but in our household it is mixed into one box. Let’s go through them one by one! Aluminium consists mainly of spray cans, while cans consist mainly of food cans. The one defining factor to distinguish between the two is their magnetism—cans are magnetic, aluminium isn’t. Also, cans tend to be thicker and heavier. Glass are, well, glass. In our household, they tend to come on bottle form—usually for syrups. They are always washed and dried. Broken or whole, our waste bank accepts glass of any form. Aside from those three main categories, electronic waste also tend to go here.
Non-Recyclables
My least favourite category. This is the category that our waste bank doesn’t accept. It contains organic waste, styrofoam, plastic takeaway packagings, oily paper, oily plastic and dust bunnies. I’d really like to start composting sometime—I really need to stop being lazy about this, to be honest—so that should take care of the organic waste. The rest, however, are hard to manage. Styrofoam and takeaway packagings tend to come to our house by accident—from events or given away by our acquaintances. This is the only category we still donate to landfills.
Non-Recyclables
My least favourite category. This is the category that our waste bank doesn’t accept. It contains organic waste, styrofoam, plastic takeaway packagings, oily paper, oily plastic and dust bunnies. I’d really like to start composting sometime—I really need to stop being lazy about this, to be honest—so that should take care of the organic waste. The rest, however, are hard to manage. Styrofoam and takeaway packagings tend to come to our house by accident—from events or given away by our acquaintances. This is the only category we still donate to landfills.
Did that help you find out about waste banks?
Have you joined one too? Do share you experience!
