Meet two of Indonesia’s waste warriors in Denmark

 

Indonesia’s waste challenges have led to a partnership with Denmark under the Strategic Sector Cooperation programme. As a result of the partnership, waste advocates Resa Aprianengsih and Hafez Komar Aditya have joined Danida Fellowship Centre’s learning programme “Green and Circular Economy” to be inspired by Danish waste management solutions.

By Vibeke Quaade

Indonesia faces a severe waste crisis that is driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and an inadequate waste management infrastructure. The country generates approximately 190,000 tonnes of waste each day, the majority (around 57 per cent) of which is organic waste. Plastic is estimated to contribute around 25,000 tonnes per day to total waste, of which – at least – 20 per cent is believed to end up in rivers and coastal waters. The capital Jakarta alone produces around 7,500 tonnes of general waste every day, a burden that its infrastructure struggles to absorb.

“The cooperation between Denmark and Indonesia on waste management and circular economy is of utmost importance, because it is focusing on the capacity building and awareness of the Indonesian waste stakeholders, based on the – good and bad – experience from Denmark,” says Erika Torres Luquin, sector counsellor based at the Danish Embassy in Indonesia.

“We are fully aware that the systems, processes and technologies from Denmark cannot just be applied in Indonesia, therefore we focus on behavioural and framework change under a multistakeholder umbrella.”

This need for tailored solutions is evident when looking at Indonesia’s existing waste infrastructure and the communities living within it. In the shadow of Jakarta’s towering skyscrapers lies Bantar Gebang, Southeast Asia’s largest landfill. Spanning 110 hectares – more than 200 football fields  – and reaching over 50 metres in height, this vast dumpsite receives the 7,500 tonnes of waste daily from the Indonesian capital. In the midst of this massive landfill, is a community of over 3,000 families, who make their living by scavenging for recyclables.

One of the people who grew up in Bantar Gebang in a family of waste collectors is Resa Aprianengsih. However, unlike most of her peers, Resa was fortunate to receive sponsorship for her education, allowing her to complete a university degree. Determined to give back to the community and support women waste collectors on the frontline of Indonesia’s waste crisis, she founded the Women’s Waste Collector Association in 2022.

“There are thousands of waste collectors in Bantar Gebang, men and women alike,” Resa explains, “but women face additional challenges as they have to balance their work with looking after their families and children, as well as  dealing with stigma and earning less than men. I wanted to change that.”

Her organisation works to empower female recyclers in the informal waste sector by bridging gaps in access to education, infrastructure, and the financial system, and by creating a fairer system whereby they can sell recyclables directly to buyers, allowing them to increase their incomes. By addressing these gaps, the Women’s Waste Collector Association aims to ensure that female recyclers not only improve their own quality of life but also contribute to the development of an inclusive and sustainable recycling system. This recognises the vital role women play in Indonesia’s environmental efforts and is the reason why she is taking part in Danida Fellowship Centre’s learning programme “Green and Circular Economy” at the University of Copenhagen.

Hafez has had a markedly different journey from Resa. Born into a middle-class family in Jakarta, he studied law and in early 2024 following a decade of experience as a lawyer, he became the CEO of the start-up, Dulang, that deals with electronic waste. According to The Indonesian National Development Planning Ministry, Indonesia currently generates 1.8 million tonnes of e-waste every year and properly recycles only 0.1 million tonnes. Unlike organic and other sorts of waste, electronic waste poses a unique challenge.

“Jakarta alone generates 75 tonnes of e-waste daily,” Hafez explains, “and this is just an estimate with the available data. It’s a massive issue because people don’t know what to do with their old electronics.”

Here, Resa interjects with a laugh. “Yes, and they are sending it all to us in Bantar Gebang!”

Hafez nods. “Exactly, and this is why Dulang is important. We are set up to champion the reuse, and extending the lifecycle of electronics, ultimately preventing them from ending up in places like Bantar Gebang. But because the situation is so overwhelming, we’ve decided to focus on business-to-business solutions where corporations who have a surplus of used IT assets  channel them to SMEs, students and underprivileged communities in need of affordable tech.”

Dulang’s work has not gone unnoticed. The company has been highlighted in Indonesia’s Circular Economy Roadmap and National Action Plan 2025-2045 as a best practice in the electronics sector.

Together, Resa and Hafez represent two sides of Indonesia’s waste challenge: social entrepreneurship and corporate innovation. We will follow their journey and see what inspiration and skills they bring back to Indonesia, and how that inspiration can be transformed into concrete initiatives to help tackle the country’s pressing waste crisis.

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