Only 10 Percent Of People Are Aware Of Waste Management, Walhi Supports FWB Introducing Green Consumers To Young People

Illustration-Dozens of soldiers from the Bekasi Kodim clean up the garbage at Bancong River/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The current high consumption pattern is not directly proportional to consumer awareness of being responsible for the environment, especially the problem of waste generated.

Based on data from the Ministry of Environment (KLH), Indonesia produces 67.2 million tons of waste with an average of 85 thousand tons of waste per day. The amount of waste produced is predicted to increase to 150 thousand tons per day by 2025.

This condition is a concern for young people to be more concerned about the environment. Friend With Bako (FWB) together with Thinkway.id initiated a talk show titled Green Consumers 'Making Us Care for the Environment' last Wednesday.

Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Jakarta Suci Fitria Tanjung highlighted the volume of waste in the river. Currently the waste in the river is equivalent to the area of Monas.

Domestic waste originating from household waste is the largest contributor to waste in Jakarta. The river pollution is exacerbated by the disposal of garbage originating from the domestic waste of residents of the satellite city of Jakarta.

"Through the concept of green consumers, there is a potential movement, namely inviting people to learn to sort waste until it finally enters Bantar Gebang," Suci explained in an electronic message received in Jakarta, Thursday, June 30.

Ary Fatanen from the Consumer Pact as one of the resource persons said that green consumers are the ideas and behaviors of individuals who are influenced by their concern for the environment.

This behavior is reflected in a person's awareness of his obligation to protect the environment selectively. Starting from finding, buying, using, to disposing and managing their product waste.

Ary said that currently people still have low awareness in managing waste.

"Only about 10 percent of Indonesians are aware of the need to manage waste. This waste has a terrible potential for disaster, if we don't really pay attention to waste management it can become problematic," explained Ary.

Rivani from the Koprol Climate representative told an inspiring story that was done by his colleagues in several areas, one of which was Kalimantan.

There Koprol Climate educate young people to raise their awareness and change the perception that one day they too can become victims of the climate crisis.

They also took concrete actions such as building a new landfill by sorting organic and non-organic waste.

"Real action in caring for the environment can be started from self-awareness. Then do small things, starting from family, campus and office, such as how to reduce the waste produced from what we consume," said Rivani.