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The waste issue in Indonesia has become a never-ending topic. To solve this issue, we need a long-term solution that is consistently implemented, remembering that everyone produces waste every day.
Then, how does Warga Asri, as the younger generation, help with this waste issue? Let’s read this article to learn how to recycle waste easily!
How to Recycle Waste Effectively
Did you know? According to the Ministry of Forestry, in 2024, the amount of household waste from 317 regencies in Indonesia had reached 34.2 million tonnes annually. This is not a small number, considering the environmental impact of the waste. Though some waste in landfills can be recycled.
In addition to reducing the volume of waste disposed of at landfills, recycling waste also has many other benefits, such as lowering environmental pollution, saving energy, and opening up new economic opportunities.
Are you interested in recycling waste? Here are some ways to recycle waste easily:
1. Collect the Waste in Different Bins
The first thing you can do is collect waste in different bins, meaning that you can create several trash bins for inorganic, hazardous, and organic waste.
2. Sort the Waste According to Type
Once the trash has been collected, you can separate it into more specific categories. For example, inorganic waste can be divided into plastic (bottles, plastic bags, packaging), paper (newspapers, books, cardboard), metal (cans, aluminum), and glass (bottles, jars, broken glass). The purpose is to make it easier to recycle it according to its material and to prevent contamination.
3. Clean the Waste
Next, you can clean sorted waste to remove odor and prevent insects from coming into contact with it. Cleaning the trash can also help simplify the process and stop the damage during storage.
For example, if you want to recycle plastic waste, you can remove the labels and wash it with soap until the dirt and crust are gone. Then, dry the plastic waste by airing it in an open area.
4. Store and Tidy the Waste
After cleaning and separating the waste, you can store it in containers or bags based on the type. Then, place it in a dry and clean area to protect it from damage and dirt.
5. Dispose of the Waste at the Waste Bank
You can bring the stored waste to the nearest waste bank for further processing into valuable products. Some waste banks also give incentives in the form of points or money that you can redeem.
6. Self-Recycling
Aside from taking the waste to the waste bank, you can also recycle it yourself. You can make various useful products, such as flower pots and ecobricks, from the various types of waste you have collected.
Read also: 10 Efforts That Can Be Made to Overcome Environmental Pollution
Waste Recycling Ideas
You can turn the sorted and collected waste into valuable products. Here are some recycling ideas you can do:
1. Compost
Got leftover food? Do not just throw it in the trash! You can make compost from organic waste, such as leftover food, rotten or expired food, or dry leaves in your yard.
To make compost, prepare a large container or bin with a lid. Then, add the organic waste and enough soil to the container, ensuring they are at the same height.
Next, you can add charcoal ash and water mixed with liquid fertilizer (EM4) to the waste and soil. Lastly, you can add another layer of soil, seal it tightly, and wait for a few weeks. The compost will form on its own.
2. Handicrafts
Some waste that can be recycled into handicrafts is plastic bottles, cans, cardboard, and used wood. You can turn a plastic bottle and a can into flower pots, lanterns, and wall decorations.
Then, you can transform cardboard into a playhouse, toys, a tissue box, a photo frame, and a storage box. Moreover, used wood can be processed into tables, sheds, shelves, wall decorations, or miniatures.
3. Patchwork Totebag
If you have used clothes, do not throw them out! You can cut them and resew them into a patchwork tote bag, a tablecloth, a purse, a scrunchie, or a pillowcase.
Read also: 3 Ways to Turn Clothes Waste into Useful!
4. Ecobricks
Another example of recycled waste products is ecobricks made from bottles and plastic waste. Making ecobricks is very easy and can be done at home. First, collect plastic bottles of the same size and plastic waste, such as plastic bags, soap packaging, and other products.
After that, you can wash and dry the waste. Then, cut it into small pieces and place it inside the plastic bottle.
Next, compact the plastic pieces with a stick and fill the bottle until full. Once the bottle is full of waste pieces, you can arrange the ecobricks to create useful items such as tables, chairs, or other furniture.
5. Asphalt Material (CIRCLO®)
Did you know that plastic waste can be recycled into high-value asphalt materials? In 2025, Chandra Asri Group introduced CIRCLO® as a recycled plastic product.
Plastic waste will be processed using advanced technology to become a material mixture for making asphalt. This product not only reduces the volume of plastic waste but also represents an environmentally friendly innovation in infrastructure development.
6. Biofuel (MINYAKU)
Another unique innovation of waste recycling is biofuel from used cooking oil (UCO). Turns out, you can turn used cooking oil into eco-friendly fuel.
The innovation has been carried out by the Chandra Asri Group together with TUKR through a program called MINYAKU. You can also participate by exchanging your UCO for recycling and receiving money in return.
That concludes the information about how to recycle waste and the creative ideas you can make. By understanding it, you can start a new habit that is beneficial to the environment.
Let’s be a young generation caring for the environment and the Earth’s health by joining Indonesia Asri. You can participate in many environmental conservation campaigns, and one of them is #AksiAsri.
This campaign invites you to participate in promoting a sustainable lifestyle. What are you waiting for? Register yourself now!
