The two projects, the development of 1) a city-level waste management strategy and 2) a recycling center to implement the strategy aims to promote proper waste management in order to protect the high value of natural assets in the Lake Toba region. Toba Caldera Geopark was listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark in July 2020.

1. JAKSTRADA (city level waste management strategy) development

CCET supported the development of a waste management strategy at the municipality level, called JAKSTRADA, in one of the country’s top priority tourism destinations, Lake Toba. All seven of the regencies surrounding Lake Toba completed and submitted their JAKSTRADA to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF). The regencies will implement their action plans, based on JAKSTRADA, and report the status of progress to the Ministry on a regular basis.

2.  Recycling center development

• The recycling facility was constructed as part of a national initiative to develop a National Plastic Waste Reduction Action Plan for Indonesia (https://www.ccet.jp/Indonesia_Plastic_Waste_Reduction_Strategy) and the local JAKSTRADA in all seven regencies around Lake Toba, with technical and financial support from CCET, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ministry of Environment, Japan (MOEJ). 

• A recycling center was constructed in Toba Samosir (Tobasa) regency, and its inauguration ceremony was held on 29 February during the national public awareness campaign called “National Waste Awareness Day 2020”, with participation of the vice minister of MoEF, the mayor of Tobasa regency, among others.

• The waste collection scheme for this recycling center is the same as the regular municipality waste collection that is a public service, but also has a waste bank at the center to collect and treat valuable plastic waste. These plastics will be recycled or recovered by several flows/techniques depending on the material types. For example, the facility is equipped with pyrolysis treatment to produce oil from plastic waste.

• The facility uses the unique concept of “no rejection of waste”. It accepts not only organic and inorganic waste, but also any kinds of plastic, and even hazardous waste, because if rejected, those wastes would end up in open dumping. Even hazardous waste will be stored temporally at the facility.

• CCET will continue assisting and monitoring the operation of the pilot project facility during the next phase of activities.