There Is An Incoming Container Containing Toxic Waste, Minister Of Environment And Forestry: We Will Not Tolerate It!

Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya (Photo: Menlhk.go.id)

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, said there were imported containers that entered the country containing toxic and hazardous waste (B3).

She conveyed this after holding a limited online cabinet meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). The findings of the imported waste are known to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise and this is not the first time Indonesia has conceded B3 waste imports.

"We actually refused to import B3 waste, but customs got it again, found irregularities, namely the entry of containers which are waste", said Siti in an online press conference broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Wednesday, July 28.

Siti said the government would not tolerate and firmly reject the import of B3 waste. Thus, the ministry will take care of the findings of the waste.

"Ministry of Environment and Forestry will handle this. We do not tolerate the entry of B3 waste, let alone medical waste," he said.

Previously, Siti explained that the amount of medical B3 waste, especially those related to handling COVID-19, reached 18,460 tons. However, this data has not been fully recorded and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry continues to try to improve it.

Moreover, based on hospital association records, COVID-19 medical waste can reach 383 tons per day. All of this waste comes from health care facilities, from hospitals to self-quarantine isolation sites, COVID-19 testing sites, and vaccination sites.

The medical waste consists of used infusions, masks, vaccine vaccines or disposable vaccine bottles, syringes, face shields, bandages, hazmat, personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits, and alcohol swab or cleanser.