Ecological Jihad: P3M and KLH Invite 42,000 Pesantren to Overcome Waste Emergency in HPSN 2026
JAKARTA - In commemoration of the 2026 National Waste Care Day (HPSN) which falls in the month of Ramadan, the Association for the Development of Pesantren and Society (P3M) together with the Ministry of Environment (KLH) launched the "Ecological Jihad" movement. This step was taken in response to the alarming national waste emergency status.
The event entitled "Strengthening Ecological Jihad in Collaboration for a Healthy Indonesia" was attended by the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Director of P3M K.H. Sarmidi Husna, as well as representatives of the private sector from CCEP Indonesia in Jakarta, Saturday (28/2/2026).
Ramadan and the Ecological Dimension: Fighting Food Waste
Director of P3M, K.H. Sarmidi Husna, emphasized that fasting should be a momentum to improve human relations with nature. According to him, the essence of fasting is to restrain the appetite, including the excessive consumption of appetite that triggers the accumulation of food waste.
"Ramadan has an ecological dimension that we often forget. If we fast properly, the result is ecological piety that gives birth to a green lifestyle," said Kiai Sarmidi. He also reminded the 2014 MUI Fatwa which requires Muslims to maintain environmental sustainability.
Indonesia Emergency Waste: Landfill Threatened by Overload 2028
Minister of Environment, Dr. Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, explained some shocking data. Of the 141,000 tons of garbage per day nationwide, only about 25% or 36,000 tons are managed properly.
Minister Hanif gave a stern warning that if the pattern of waste management does not change, almost all Final Treatment Facilities (TPA) in Indonesia will experience overload in 2028.
"Garbage is not just a matter of technology, but about faith and culture. The solution is simple: sort garbage from home. If it has been sorted, 50% of the garbage problem is solved," said Hanif.
Pesantren as a Spearhead of Cultural Change
With more than 42,000 pesantren and 1.61 million students across Indonesia, this ecosystem is considered the government's largest social capital to change the character of the nation.
Some of the innovations that have begun to be implemented in the environment of the boarding school built by P3M include:
Maggot cultivation: Processing organic kitchen waste from boarding schools into maggot feed with high economic value for poultry and catfish. Sorting Inorganic Waste: Collecting plastic and recyclable materials so that they do not end up in the landfill.Declaration of the Santri Movement to Preserve the Earth
The peak of the 2026 HPSN warning was marked by the signing of the Declaration of the Santri Movement to Preserve the Earth. This movement is expected to become a motor for collaboration between the government, pesantren, and the private sector.
Through this synergy, it is hoped that Indonesia's target of Safe, Healthy, Clean, and Beautiful (ASRI) can be achieved, starting from the independence of pesantren in managing its own waste.