IPB University Expert: Voluntary Household Management Must Continue to Maintain Environmentally Friendly Practice
Voluntary household waste management is permitted even without official permits, as long as it still maintains environmentally friendly practices. This was stated by Prof Eka Intan Kumala Putri, Professor at the Department of Resource and Environmental Economics, IPB University, in response to recent issues surrounding waste management in the community.
According to Prof Eka, waste management issues often cause negative impacts, for instance, pollution, smoke, and unpleasant odors. Nevertheless, on the other hand, the communities require a waste management system, including a small scale such as the neighborhood association (RT).
“As long as waste management is still voluntary and not mandatory, management without permit is still allowed. However, it must utilize methods that do not damage the environment, such as avoid from burning waste,” said Prof Eka.
She emphasized the importance of using sanitary landfill method in management waste. This method is considered more modern and effective as it involves burying and covering waste in pits to prevent environmental pollution. Furthermore, sorting waste from source to destination is more recommended than burning waste.
Prof Eka also encourages the implementation of a circular economy in management waste in the community. According to her, waste with high economic value can be recycled. Meanwhile, low-value waste can still be utilized within a circular economy system which emphasizes resource efficiency and waste minimization.
For small scales such as within a neighborhood association, she stated that the willingness and commitment of the residents are the main keys. “Residents must be willing to sort and process their own waste. They can also set up waste banks or use a deposit refund system,” she said.
With this approach, Prof Eka hopes that the community can manage waste independently without causing environmental impacts, thereby contributing to a more sustainable economic system. (dh) (IAAS/HRD)
