JAKARTA - Sustainable Waste Indonesia (SWI) together with Indonesian Plastic Recyclers (IPR) launched the results of the Recycling Rate Index (RRI) study which presents the latest data on the achievement of national plastic waste recycling.
The dissemination activity which was held on April 29, 2025, at the Caraka Tower, Jakarta was also attended by Drs. Ade Palguna Rutika, Deputy for Waste Management, Waste and B3 of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia and Dr. Ir. Tri Liaryanti, ST, M.S., Director of Chemical Industry Hilir & Pharmacy, Directorate General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Textile Industries of the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia.
Plastic waste is still a big challenge in environmental management in Indonesia. Through Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 75 of 2019, the government is targeting to reduce the generation of waste from producers by 30% by 2029.
This target is driven through recycling, packaging recall, and reuse. The recycling industry in Indonesia faces a number of challenges, ranging from uneven collection infrastructure connectivity, geographical imbalance, global plastic price fluctuations, dependence on plastic imports, to difficulties in recycling certain types of plastic. Data constraints are also still obstacles in formulating and implementing targeted policies. To answer these conditions, SWI and IPR compiled RRI studies to provide data-based bases.
The study was conducted during the period July to December 2024 with the upstream-downstream approach, the data collection method through interviews of around 700 plastic value chain players and secondary data based on government data, BPS, and literature. One of the findings from this study shows the fairly good performance of plastic recycling in Indonesia, with the total plastic recycling rate of post-consuming waste (PCR) classified as moderate.
Even post-consuming recycling rate (PCR) is high for bottle FARmers at 71 percent and HDPE rigid at 60 percent. This recycling rate is at a good level and has increased significantly thanks to the cross-traordinary collaboration, including various initiatives that the industry has taken.
Dini Trisyanti as Director of SWI and the main researcher considered the RRI study initiative as an important step.
"We believe accurate data is crucial to understand real conditions on the ground and to be the basis for more appropriate policies. This study shows that the contribution of plastic recycling in plastic resin production reaches 19 percent with total economic value ranging from collection, aggregation to plastic recycling to at least Rp19 trillion/year. Seeing the economic impact and the importance of the role of plastic recycling in waste management, active cross-sectoral collaboration is needed, including consumer education in sorting waste from sources, transparency in national recycling reporting, as well as technological innovation to encourage plastic recycling," he explained, in a written statement, Wednesday, April 30.
Drs. Ade Palguna Rutika, Deputy for Waste Management, Waste and B3 of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, appreciated the presence of this study as a form of real contribution from the non-governmental sector.
He considered that the study carried out by SWI did not only complement the efforts made by the government, but also provided additional insight through the results of comprehensive identification and analysis. He also emphasized the importance of cross-private collaboration as the key to realizing an inclusive and sustainable waste management system.
The government through Presidential Regulation Number 12 of 2025 concerning the National Medium-Term Development Plan targets to solve 100 percent of waste problems by 2029. To achieve this ambitious target, various waste reduction and handling strategies have been prepared, including encouraging the application of circular economic principles in recycling systems and encouraging producers to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Of course, this target will not be achieved without support from all sectors," said Ade again.
Waste management initiatives have developed in various sectors, but collaboration and synergy between institutions and sectors are needed to integrate all these efforts in concrete form. Some of them are data disclosure and policy incentives, both fiscal and regulatory, which will greatly determine the progress of the recycling industry.
This discussion was also attended by several representatives from industries that produce products with plastic packaging, including Unilever Indonesia, Nestmen Indonesia and AQUA. The three of them affirmed their commitment to take an active role in dealing with plastic waste throughout their business chains.
Maya Tamimi, Head of Division Environment & Sustainability Unilever Indonesia Foundation said that the Company continues to be committed to taking an active role in dealing with plastic waste throughout its business value chain. Unilever Indonesia has a strong, clear, measurable focus, and in line with government programs in terms of reducing and managing plastic waste.
In 2024, Unilever Indonesia has collected and managed 90,000 tons of plastic waste, more than used to sell its products. This effort was achieved through the network of waste banks assisted, collectors, TPS3R, and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF).
"We believe collaboration is key to a waste-free future," he stressed.
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Maruli Sitompul, Sustainability Delivery Lead Nestversus Indonesia also conveyed concrete steps that had been taken by the company, such as the use of paper straws throughout RTD (ready-to-drinkles) and designing their packaging into recycled packaging (monomaterial packaging). In addition, Nestversus Indonesia also collects plastic waste from a number of plastic packaging they produce/use. For this, they work with collectors, recyclers, and TPS3R.
Nestversus Indonesia also supports waste management infrastructure with 10 MRF/TPS3R in Karawang through collaboration with KSM Friends of the Environment and local government. This TPS3R is capable of serving up to 6,000 households around Karawang.
"Nestmen Indonesia continues to strive to find sustainable packaging solutions. We believe that with the right approach, product sustainability and security can go hand in hand. For this reason, support and collaboration from all parties are needed, such as private sectors, governments, and the community," said Maruli.
On the same occasion, Astri Wahyuni, Public Affairs and Sustainability Director of AQUA, said that the recycling ecosystem in Indonesia continues to develop amid challenges such as the quality of input from mixed waste, the price of RPET products which is still high, and the need for incentives for actors.
"Currently, 75 percent of AQUA products are circular through gallons to repeat, more than 96% of packaging can be recycled, and all products contain up to 25 percent recycled material. AQUA is also building various recycling infrastructures, ranging from waste banks to Recycling Business Units (RIBU). As a 100 percent rPET packaging innovator through AQUA Life since 2018, we hope that the government will prepare policies that strengthen systemic solutions and guarantee equal opportunities for recycling industry players in Indonesia, "explained Astri.
Through this study, SWI hopes to strengthen collaborative foundations in the management of more integrated, inclusive, and sustainable national plastic waste.
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