Ganjar Says Waste Management And Utilization Must Be Carried Out From Upstream To Downstream

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said waste management requires consistency from upstream to downstream. Continuous education must continue so that waste management can provide added value.

Several examples of waste management in the regions can be replicated so that large movements to solve waste problems can be carried out. Including circular economic development.

"The management is starting to get good. As the one in Kudus was exemplified by (garfage) which is organically resolved at home and cannot leave the yard. They are taught to be composite. (Sampah) that can come out is inorganic, it is sorted and can be sold, so this has added value," said Ganjar after attending the peak commemoration of World Environment Day 2023 at the Central Java Province at the Slawi Ayu People's Park (RASA) Tegal Regency, Tuesday, June 4.

The peak of the commemoration of World Environment Day 2023 was attended by around 1,000 people. Consisting of students, representatives of 150 Adiwiyata Schools, cadres and environmental activists. Also representatives of all OPDs at the provincial and district levels.

"Of course the enthusiasm is extraordinary, the participation is good. There are elementary, junior high, high school/vocational students. Earlier I chatted with the children who had great enthusiasm," said Ganjar.

Ganjar focuses attention on students, because education about problems and waste management can be started from them. Starting from how to love the environment, how to do real actions such as planting trees, to sorting waste from home.

"The activities of their waste activist friends were cleaned, they educated, even those with special needs were taught to grow and process waste, taught to manage waste so that it has added value to the circular economy," he explained.

The circular economic potential in Central Java can be said to be high in seeing the amount of waste reaching around 6.3 million tons per year. Of that amount, about 17.8 percent is plastic waste.

"If it can be managed properly with a circular economy, it can be a big added value. In my opinion, this is a trend and usually young people are happy. So they started making applications and so on," he said.

In commemoration of World Environment Day, Ganjar invites the public to care more about the environment. He also reminded about the global climate change and the potential for a long dry season.

Apart from how to maintain food security, it is also necessary to pay attention to how waste does not cause disease. For this reason, waste management is important.

In fact, according to Ganjar, if necessary, an application should be made to facilitate waste management. The use of the application has been carried out in Banyumas with the Jeknyong application. This application makes it easier to pick up garbage that has been sorted from the public, then taken to processing. According to Ganjar, this application can be replicated by other regions.

"These are the cool young people now, in my opinion, to be able to push. But this must be a big movement so that it becomes a very effective force to solve the waste problem. Banyumas already has Jeknyong, that's a good application," said Ganjar.

Apart from Banyumas, several villages in Tegal have also run a program called Merdeka Sampah. According to Ganjar, such a movement pattern should not stop so that waste management can be successful.

"The curvature is good, the plants are many, green again, and the circular economy is running from waste management," he concluded.