National Waste Awareness Day, commemorated every February 21st. Blue and black friends must have known that piled up waste is one of the causes of flooding in various regions, especially in big cities. Socialization and education to the public about wise waste management until the birth of various waste management innovations by experts also continues to be intensified. But in fact, waste is still a serious problem in our country.

Our awareness and responsibility, the people of Indonesia, are very necessary. We need to always remember the negative impacts of waste that threaten our lives, accompanied by wise behavior that can reduce the increase in the amount of waste.

Let’s look at some important facts below:

1. Indonesia is the largest contributor of waste in the world and number one in Southeast Asia (2017).
2. Plastic waste is estimated to be the largest waste in the world, amounting to 9 million tons/year and still increasing.
3. In 2016, the United Nations Convention On Biological Diversity in 2016 reported that more than 800 species (40% of marine mammals and 44% of seabird species) died due to waste. In 2017, the UN said that plastic waste killed 100,000 marine mammals, 1,000,000 seabirds, and the rest were turtles and other biota (com).
4. During this pandemic, LIPI stated that 96% of plastic waste came from online shopping packaging because it is considered the most effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.
5. Medical waste category B3 (Hazardous and Toxic Materials) in Indonesia reached 1,100 tons during the 2020 pandemic.

Many claim to care about the environment, but do not try to change their lifestyle, especially in terms of reducing waste. The following simple solutions can be done as an effort to overcome the problem of waste in our environment:

1. Get used to not using single-use products. For example, shopping with your own bag, drinking place, straw or container.
2. Collecting at least 3 pieces of trash for every activity; whether on vacation or exercising outside the home. This movement was once popular among environmental activists with various terms such as ‘2minutesbeachcleanup’, ‘take only 3’, and ‘plogging’. By getting used to it ourselves, it is hoped that this movement will motivate people in our environment to also reduce waste in these ways.
3. Sorting waste into organic waste (egg shells, food scraps); recycling (cardboard, plastic bottles, cans, metal, iron); residue (diapers, sanitary napkins, sachets, cigarettes), and B3 (masks, syringes, medicine wrappers) before throwing away. The goal is to make it easy to process further (dispose of/utilize) and not endanger the officers who collect the waste.

Penulis : Fika A. (Kontributor Humas FMIPA UI)