Enviro News Asia, Banjarmasin – Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, is encouraging universities and schools to take an active role in waste management. This role is crucial to fostering awareness of waste issues from an early age, making schools and universities the starting point for environmental concern.
“Awareness in waste management is closely related to environmental sustainability,” said Hanif during the launch of the Asta Kampus dan Sekolah Aksi Peduli Sampah Nasional program at Lambung Mangkurat University, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Saturday (March 15, 2025).
Hanif Faisol Nurofiq expressed appreciation for the support of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) in this program. This collaboration serves as a tangible effort to create a clean educational environment free from waste.
Hanif stated that Indonesia produces approximately 56.63 million tons of waste per year, with 60.99 percent of it still not being properly managed.
In terms of composition, food waste dominates at 39.87 percent, followed by plastic waste at 19.16 percent, wood/branches at 11.83 percent, and paper/cardboard at 10.83 percent. The majority of this waste comes from households (50.78 percent), markets (12.19 percent), commercial areas (14.77 percent), and other areas (8.14 percent).
Hanif explained that plastic waste and food waste are the largest contributors, making it essential to enhance the implementation of the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R) principles for a more effective and sustainable waste management solution.
He reminded everyone that waste is an inevitable byproduct of human activities, and thus, waste management is a shared responsibility. “We must start reducing and managing our waste individually, rather than simply disposing of it at the final processing site,” he emphasized.
To strengthen waste management efforts in schools and universities, the three ministries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Synergy of Duties and Functions in Environmental Protection and Management. This MoU reinforces the role of educational institutions in environmental management through six strategic areas of cooperation.
These six areas include policy synchronization, capacity building for educators and students, and practical waste management initiatives. Additionally, they involve advancing research and innovation, implementing environmental protection and management programs, optimizing educational facilities for waste management, and exchanging policy-based environmental and educational data.
