Sachet packaging consumed by millions of Indonesians every day has become one of the biggest challenges in managing plastic waste in the country.
Indonesia generates around 36 million tonnes of waste per year, with 6.8 million tonnes being plastic, said Alfin Nurul Firdaus, founder of Waste Reform Indonesia and a Master of Environment graduate from the University of Melbourne.
Sachet packaging poses one of the biggest recycling challenges, as it combines several layers of different materials that workers cannot melt together, Firdaus said. Fewer than three percent of sachets are properly managed, with the rest going to landfill, being burned, or dumped into waterways, she added.
Purchasing power largely drives the dominance of sachets, Firdaus said. Around 60 percent of Indonesians fall into the low-income category based on World Bank standards, making sachets the most affordable option for everyday needs, she added.
Australia separates waste at the household level and runs a container deposit scheme that incentivises people to return plastic bottles, Firdaus said. Indonesia, by contrast, still relies heavily on the informal sector, including waste collectors and scrap dealers, to manage its waste.
This gap also reflects a wider regulatory divide between the two countries, Firdaus said. Australia requires companies to meet strict waste management standards and penalises those that do not comply, she said. In Indonesia, the Extended Producer Responsibility regulation introduced in 2019 requires manufacturers to reduce waste by 30 percent by 2029, but the government has yet to enforce it effectively, she added.
Stronger regulatory enforcement, backed by monitoring mechanisms and penalties for non-compliant companies, holds the key to meaningful change, Firdaus said.
Listen to SBS Indonesian's conversation with Alfin Nurul Firdaus to find out more about the challenges of recycling plastic waste in Indonesia, how waste management systems in Indonesia and Australia compare, and how the government enforces existing regulations on the ground.
