Sign Cooperation With The UK, The Ministry Of Industry Expects Indonesia To Become A Leader Of Biodegradable Products

Director General of Resilience, Region, and International Industry Access of the Ministry of Industry Eko SA Cahyanto (third from the right). (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Industry)

The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) hopes that industrial cooperation in the field of sustainable technology will be able to position Indonesia as one of the leaders in the world in the production of natural decomposable products (biodegradable).

As an effort to assist and monitor the implementation of the agreement between PT ATMI IGI and Solinata Group BV at Hannover Messe 2023, the Ministry of Industry also made a visit to the Solinatra research and development center in Norwich, England.

"The Ministry of Industry hopes that this collaboration can not only position Indonesia as one of the world's leaders in the production of biodegradable products, but also encourage a more sustainable future, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) target, as well as Indonesia's efforts to reduce marine plastic waste with a target of 70 percent by 2025 and completely free of plastic waste by 2040," said Director General of Resilience, Region, and International Industry Access of the Ministry of Industry Eko SA Cahyanto in a written statement, Wednesday, October 18.

During the visit with the Special Staff of the Minister of Industry Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono, the Indonesian delegation also witnessed the revolutionary in Solinatra, which turned plant waste into a biodegradable material.

As a form of implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed at Hannover Messe 2023, ATMI IGI is one of Indonesia's co-exhibitors at Hannover Messe 2023 and Solinatra established the ATMI-Solinatra Center of Excellence, which is a pioneer institution in Indonesia in making a transition from plastic that causes waste to materials that are fully natural and can be decomposed biologically and can be made compost.

"This partnership not only supports environmentally friendly agendas in Indonesia, but also opens opportunities for new manufacturing facilities, thus encouraging environmentally friendly employment opportunities," said Eko.

By combining ATMI engineering expertise and Solinatra's innovative ingredients, the Center of Excellence will educate the next generation of industry leaders, positioning Indonesia as a global leader in the production of biodegradable products.

Meanwhile, Solinatra CEO Robert de Jong highlighted the strategic significance of this partnership, because apart from overcoming the problem of plastic waste, Solinatra's innovative products are aligned with their goals.

The collaboration between Solinatra Group BV and Atmi IGI has begun with a Plastic-Free Mangrove Planting Event using the Solinatra pot at Angke Kapuk Nature Tourism Park (TWA), which is the first step of the project, and also a Solinatra-based coffee capsule filled with Indonesian native coffee beans.

For the coffee capsule, trials will be carried out in the European market starting in 2024. This collaboration is expected to realize a greener future for Indonesia.

Solinatra, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a pioneer in biomaterial innovation. The company utilizes natural 100 percent plant-based materials that are not only environmentally friendly, but can also be integrated perfectly in the existing manufacturing process.