Tangerang City’s transformation from being one of the dirtiest cities in Indonesia in 2006 to being a Clean and Green (Adipura Kencana) awardee in recent years speaks volume of what the city has done to reduce the solid waste of its 2 million population.
By 2016, Tangerang City has re-engineered the Rawa Kucing Landfill from an open dumping site into a sanitary landfill, applying technologies such as geomembrane to prevent environmental problems. More than 2 hectares of land have moreover been turned into green spaces for the public to enjoy, contrary to the conventional image of a dirty, smelly place to avoid.
The city government understands the importance of involving the communities in the solid waste programme. That is why Tangerang City expanded their waste bank programme. To date, about 1,000 waste banks have been established, giving additional income opportunities to community members in exchange for their recyclable wastes.
“We are glad to see that our solid waste management programme has helped in the social awareness and encouraged people to do segregation,” said Ms. Anna Susanti, Head of Tangerang’s Technical Sanitary Planning Section. “They have come to realise that by managing their wastes, they are not only getting additional income, they are also taking care of the environment,” she added.
Tangerang took their solid waste management efforts further by engaging the school children as early as kindergarten, believing that educating the youth produces a more lasting positive attitude towards waste reduction.
“CDIA is quite proud of how the city of Tangerang has revamped its solid waste program, and we hope that by sharing this video, other Asian cities could pick up lessons from its experience,” said Ms. Eva Ringhof, CDIA-GIZ Program Coordinator. “Truly, much can be done if the government and the residents are working hand in hand to address key developmental issues of the city,” she added.
Watch the project video on YouTube: <link https: www.youtube.com>