Gunung Sub-district, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta now has a new facility to strengthen the independent waste management system. The Head of Gunung Sub-district, Andika Eka Saputra, officially inaugurated the Gunung Mas Waste Bank located in the RW 08 area. This facility is designed not only to serve local residents but is also open to communities from other RWs as a waste management education center and a place to deposit recyclable waste.
This innovative program aims to revolutionize the public's paradigm regarding waste, from being initially considered as refuse to becoming items of high economic value if managed properly. Through this waste banking mechanism, every inorganic waste item deposited by residents will be weighed and then converted into a savings balance that can be withdrawn to support daily household needs.
The presence of supporting facilities around the location, such as jumbo-sized biopore holes and a modern teba system, is believed to further maximize organic waste processing at the local level. This strengthening step is considered crucial, given that the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency is starting to prioritize the transportation of residual waste and hazardous and toxic waste (B3), making waste sorting from households absolutely necessary.
Faisal, a staff member of the Environmental Implementation Unit of Kebayoran Baru District, emphasized that the key to the success of this program lies in the behavioral change of residents in reducing the use of single-use plastics. He encouraged managers to continue innovating to attract the wider community to consistently sort waste from the source.
The Head of RW 08 Gunung Sub-district, Dirwantoro, shared that before having a dedicated operational building, waste weighing activities were carried out independently in his backyard. The high enthusiasm of residents meant the yard could no longer accommodate the piles of secondhand items. Currently, there are 40 active members who regularly deposit around 200 to 300 kilograms of waste during each scheduled weighing session.
