Reporter: KONTAN Team | Editor: Ridwal Prima Gozal
KONTAN.CO.ID – By: Budhi Soesilo, Wezia Berkademi
In commemoration of World Environment Day.
Imagine a mineral or coal mining site, or perhaps a large oil and gas facility, standing tall in a remote corner of the country—far from the urban bustle, yet never truly quiet.
These sites serve as second homes for thousands of workers from across the archipelago, who live on-site for 4 to 8 weeks before returning home for 1 to 2 weeks (editor’s note: roster system).
Behind the grandeur of these operations lies an environmental issue that often escapes public attention: human waste and domestic garbage.
The extractive industry inevitably brings with it a “bonus” of worker migration. A single mining project can employ 15,000 to 25,000 people, depending on its scale and type.
If we assume 22,000 workers are housed on-site, the basic needs they generate are immense. According to WHO standards, the minimum requirement for clean water is 50 liters per person per day (for drinking, bathing, washing, and sanitation).
That means this site would require 1.1 million liters of water every day—just for domestic use. Additionally, 50–60% of that becomes wastewater. If not properly managed, this waste has the potential to pollute surrounding water bodies—especially in remote areas that are environmentally vulnerable.
And that’s not even accounting for solid waste. Based on data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), the average Indonesian generates about 0.7 kg of waste per day, with around 14% of it being plastic.
That means 22,000 workers would produce about 15,400 kg of waste daily—more than 2,000 kg of it being single-use plastic. Most logistics at mining sites are supplied from outside the region, including food, bottled water, sanitation products, and personal protective equipment (PPE), all of which are packaged in plastic.
Without a systematic and innovative waste management system, this plastic can accumulate into a significant ecological threat.
In the era of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, a mining company’s responsibility doesn’t end at land reclamation or emissions monitoring. Managing worker-generated domestic waste must be a key component of their sustainability strategy.
Unfortunately, solid and liquid waste management is often treated as a secondary concern, rather than part of the core system. While some companies do have wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and material recovery facilities (MRF), the scale and effectiveness vary widely.
We can learn from other countries. In Norway, oil companies are required to manage both solid and liquid waste independently on offshore platforms through waste-to-energy systems.
In Canada, some mining companies use industrial composters to convert organic worker waste into fertilizer for revegetating mined land. Meanwhile, in Australia, the “eco-camp” concept—modular worker housing powered by renewable energy and featuring zero-waste systems—has been developed as a new operational standard for sustainable mining.
World Environment Day is a time for reflection: that waste and waste management are not just household issues—they’re industrial ones. Especially in the mining sector, which inherently leaves a large ecological footprint.
If mining companies begin to see worker waste as part of the environmental ecosystem that must be managed to the highest standards, waste management would become not just an obligation—but the most tangible form of respect we can show to the environment and to the people who depend on it.
Therefore, in this year’s World Environment Day observance, let us call for a stronger commitment from industries—especially extractive sectors—to make worker waste management a priority, not merely an appendix in environmental impact documents (AMDAL).
A healthy planet is the product of collective care, starting with what we throw away every day.
(This article was published on Kontan.co.id on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 17:39 WIB)
Author Biographies
Dr. dr. Tri Edhi Budhi Soesilo, M.Si
Dr. dr. Tri Edhi Budhi Soesilo, M.Si is a physician and environmental academic from the University of Indonesia who has dedicated his career to education and environmental oversight, particularly in the mining sector.
He is a full-time lecturer at the School of Environmental Science, University of Indonesia (UI), and served as Director of the School from 2020 to 2024.
His expertise lies in environmental modeling using Systems Thinking and System Dynamics, which he consistently applies in research, publications, and sustainable decision-making.
Starting his career in medicine, his passion for education and sustainability led him into the field of environmental science. Since 1999, he has worked as an environmental expert in mining projects, including as a member of the Review Panel Team (RPT) for the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of PT Freeport Indonesia.
He has collaborated with the Inspectorate of Mines at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), visiting nearly every mining region in Indonesia to ensure responsible and compliant environmental management.
With a strong interdisciplinary background in medicine, environmental science, and education, he is known for bridging public health, academia, and environmental governance to promote sustainable mining practices.
Dr. Wezia Berkademi, S.E., M.Si
Dr. Wezia Berkademi, S.E., M.Si is a permanent lecturer at the School of Environmental Science, University of Indonesia (UI).
Her areas of expertise include economic valuation of natural resources and ecosystem services, as well as environmental modeling through Systems Thinking and System Dynamics. She actively contributes to the development of economic analysis related to the environmental impacts of industrial activities, including mining.
Through her research, she has contributed to the development of economic valuation methods and cost-benefit analysis frameworks used to assess risks, losses, and opportunities associated with industrial activities—particularly in the context of sustainability and evidence-based policy-making.
She has also been involved in drafting disaster risk reduction investment strategies with Bappenas, the National Disaster Management Agency, and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, focusing on inclusive and environmentally friendly approaches. With a strong interdisciplinary perspective, she bridges economics, ecology, and public policy in the sustainable management of Indonesia’s natural resources.
