Enviro News Asia, Karawang — PT Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills Karawang, an APP Group business unit, has strengthened circular economy practices by partnering with KSM Sahabat Lingkungan to develop an integrated community-to-industry waste management system in Karawang, West Java.
The partnership was launched at TPS3R Baraya Runtah in Perumnas Telukjambe, Sukaluyu Village, Telukjambe Timur District, with support from the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) and the Karawang Environmental Agency. The program is designed to strengthen waste collection, sorting, and utilization while creating clearer market access for recyclable materials.
The launch was marked by the first shipment of two pickup trucks carrying sorted waste materials from the TPS3R to industry. Under the partnership, Pindo Deli Karawang serves as an off-taker for sorted cardboard and white paper that meet the company’s technical specifications and requirements.
Director of Waste Reduction and Circular Economy Development at KLH/BPLH Agus Rusly said collaboration between communities, waste management organizations, government institutions, and the private sector is essential to address Indonesia’s waste management challenges.
He emphasized that market certainty is an important factor in ensuring that community-based waste sorting and management activities can continue to grow. The presence of an industrial off-taker provides a clearer outlet for materials collected and sorted through TPS3R facilities and waste banks.
Chairman of KSM Sahabat Lingkungan Hendro said TPS3R Baraya Runtah currently sorts nearly 35 types of household and household-like waste. These include paper and cardboard as well as various types of plastic, such as PET, PP, and sheet HD plastics.
Each type of material has different characteristics and specifications that must correspond to industrial requirements. Under the current partnership with Pindo Deli Karawang, cardboard and white paper are the materials being absorbed by the company.
Hendro said the partnership could strengthen the waste management chain by connecting households as the upstream sector, TPS3R and waste banks as the intermediate sector, and industry as the downstream sector.
The partnership also supports better sorting practices because collectors and communities have a clearer market for materials that have been properly separated, cleaned, and kept dry.
Beyond its role as an off-taker, Pindo Deli Karawang is supporting community-based circular economy development through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. The support includes public awareness activities, training, and mentoring designed to strengthen the capacity of waste managers and communities.
Deputy Director of PT Pindo Deli Karawang Adil Teguh said the company remains open to expanding cooperation with waste management groups and communities in Karawang.
The company aims to gradually strengthen waste management systems from the village and subdistrict levels before expanding them across the regency. Greater cooperation between TPS3R operators, communities, government agencies, and the private sector is expected to increase the economic value of recyclable waste while creating a more integrated waste management chain from source to industry.
Through the Strategic Partnership Program for Circular Economy Waste Management, Pindo Deli Karawang plans to continue promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve waste management in Karawang. The initiative is expected to expand opportunities for utilizing sorted waste, strengthen community capacity, and contribute to a circular economy ecosystem that generates long-term environmental, social, and economic benefits. (*)
