Jakarta (Greeners) – Following protest from green group, Ecoton, to US embassy over recent illegal waste dumping to Indonesia, US representative stated that they regretted the fact that containers shipped from the country contaminated with domestic wastes.

“After investigating the matter, we are regretful knowing that the containers arrived in Indonesia contained scraps of contaminated waste. We respect Indonesian government to enforce its environmental law and imports. We hope all US companies to comply with local, national, and industrial guidance,” as stated in the email.

“Lots of Indonesian companies rely on imports of high quality scraps for their business to grow and expand employment for Indonesians. To use recycle materials means that Indonesia will not have to cut down trees and extract more oil. Hopefully, this illegal attitude of several companies will not hamper opportunities for Indonesia to develop its manufacture industry based on recycle commodities.”

READ ALSO : Activists Demand the US To Stop Dumping Illegal Waste To Indonesia

Prigi Arisandi, Ecoton Executive Director, said that if US wants to support recycles, they should do it according to the law, and not illegally smuggled domestic waste into the country.

Furthermore, US government had violated Ministry of Trade Regulation issued in 2016 and Waste Management Law issued in 2008, as Indonesia had re-export them back to the US.

“We have to understand if Indonesia ban domestic plastic waste, waste from sanitary landfill. The US can export plastics but in the form of plastic scraps or post-production waste so the type of the waste will be divided into PET, PP, PE, and PETE,” said Arisandi to Greeners on Thursday (25/07/2019).

Meanwhile, other developing nations, also shipped with illegal wastes, have re-export them back to the US and protested to developed countries on the issue.

READ ALSO : Indonesia Continues Re-Export Illegal Waste To Developed Countries

Cambodia returned 1,600 tons of contaminated waste to the US and Canada on July 17, 2019 after they found them in 83 containers in Sihanoukville State Harbour, as reported by CNN.

“Cambodia is not a dumpster for foreign countries to dump their e-wastes in our country and the government will refuse plastic waste imports and oil recycle in this country,” said Neth Pheaktra, the state secretary and spokesperson for Ministry of Environment to CNN.

Malaysia also had the same attitude, as reported by Voaindonesia, Yeo Bee Yin, Minister of Energy, Technology, Science, Environment and Climate Change, stated will enforce the law for recycling facilities and illegal import activities, and calling them involved in the incident as ‘traitors’.

“This is not fair and inhumane. We will return those wastes to their origins without questions. Malaysia will not become the world’s landfill. We will not be bullied by developed countries,” said Yeo Bee Yin.

Reports by Dewi Purningsih

Jakarta (Greeners) – Indonesia’s activists staged a protest following the finding that the US dumped its domestic waste illegally to Indonesia since 2014. On June 14, Indonesian government re-export five containers of illegal waste belong to PT Adiprima Suraprinta to its origin state, the US. They deliberately mixed waste into papers imported for companies in Indonesia.

Head of Tanjung Perak harbor of Surabaya, states on Tuesday (9/07/2019), there were 38 containers from the US under inspection. Piled of waste consisted of baby diapers, food packaging, sachets, oil bottles, used clothes, e-waste, and other waste lead to environment problems in Mojokerto, Gresik, Sidoarjo and Surabaya.

READ ALSO : Indonesia Continues Re-Export Illegal Waste To Developed Countries

Ecoton demanded for the US to get their wastes back from Indonesia and apologise for polluting the country.

“We want them to apologise to Indonesia, especially East Java people. How come a country that sent its own people to the moon could throw garbage to other countries. There’s a theory of don’t litter, that should be understood as a developed country,” said executive director of Ecoton, Prigi Arisandi, during the protest in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta on Friday (19/07/2019).

Based on Statistic Agency in 2019, the US is the largest importer of paper waste to Indonesia, especially East Java. There is a suspicion that the US sent waste papers contaminated with domestic wastes for a total of 25,000 tons per year and reached 150,000 tons per year in 2018.

Sumber : Ecoton (BPS 2019)

In East Java, there are 12 paper companies using paper waste materials from other countries. There are 43 exporters of paper waste, the top ten to East Java are the US, Italy, UK, Korea, Australia, Singapore, Greece, Spain, Netherland, and New Zealand.

“BRACSIP investigation shows that waste paper imports have been contaminated by domestic wastes, especially plastic wastes, with a percentage reaching to 30 percent,” said Arisandi.

The protest also included a letter from a high school student of East Java, Tara, for President Donald Trump, which she wrote that the US wastes have been polluting East Java.

READ ALSO : Indonesia Returns Contaminated Paper Waste to the US

“So, I wrote letter to President Donald Trump. The US is a developed country but sending their domestic waste to Indonesia and the amount is 150,000 tons per year. In the letter, I told them that the waste that they sent brought damages to Indonesia, and it polluting environment, water, air, and soil in Indonesia,” said the 16-year old student.

Furthermore, she said that Indonesia does not need wastes from the US for its damages to people, water, soil and environment in Indonesia. “My wish is that the US to stop import its waste to Indonesia and take responsibility on the damages,” she said.

Reports by Dewi Purningsih

Jakarta (Greeners) – Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Customs continue to re-export illegal plastic waste contaminated with toxic waste and domestic wastes to the US, France, Australia, and Hongkong.

After checking on 65 containers at Tanjung Perak Harbor, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry recommends the Customs to return 49 containers which are contaminated with toxic wastes and domestic wastes, such as diapers, oils, and used electronics.

READ ALSO : Indonesia Returns Contaminated Paper Waste to the US

Director general of waste and toxic and hazardous management, Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, said that Indonesia is ready to return 49 containers, — 38 containers contaminated with toxic waste will be returned to France, Hongkong, the US, and Australia, meanwhile 11 containers coming from the US and Australia.

“Their permits are for plastic waste but contaminated with toxic waste and domestic waste. The contamination is around 10%. So, from 49, only 16 containers are clean, meaning they don’t get mixed with toxic waste and domestic waste,” said Ratnawati to Greeners on Friday in Jakarta.

Furthermore, she said that after checking and recommendation from the ministry, the returning process will be handled by the Customs.

“The Customs will re-export if there’s a recommendation from the ministry. It means we have recommended to be processed by the Customs,” she said.

Meanwhile. head unit of communication and publication of the Customs, Deni Surjantoro, said that based on ministry of trade regulation issued in 2011, re-export process must be done at the latest 90 days after the containers come to Indonesia.

READ ALSO : Ministry of Environment and Forestry Sealed More Illegal Landfills

“The 65 containers came at the same time on 10 June 2019, so it’s almost a month and we’re still processing for re-export. Out of 65 containers, only 16 are clean, they’re coming from Japan, Netherland, France and Germany,” said Surjantoro on Monday (08/07/2019).

He added that the re-exports are waiting for administration process and documentations.

“Currently, the process is at Batam Customs. It actually waiting to be shipped but still waiting for adminsitration,” he said adding there are 66 containers waiting for re-exports at Tanjung Perak Harbour. Eight of them came from Australia, 20 containers from Germany, and 38 containers from the US are still in checking.

“Actually, for the 20 containers and 8 containers have the same status as in Batam’s, waiting to be re-exported,” he said.

Report by Dewi Purningsih