The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Mon, 03/23/2009 11:37 AM
Squatters living along Ciliwung’s riverbank will get around Rp 900 (less than 10 US cents) once every three months for all the organic trash they collect.
“This will be the first time we will pay residents for their trash,” said NGO activist Lestari recently.
Since last year residents have been separating their organic and nonorganic trash voluntarily following encouragement from the Ciliwung Merdeka foundation.
Starting from the second week of April, residents in four neighborhood units (RT) in Bukit Duri subdistrict of South Jakarta and one in Kampung Pulo of East Jakarta will be paid Rp 10 for every kilogram of organic waste.
The garbage will be sent to collecting points that will be made available in five neighborhoods in the area, said Lestari, who is the foundation coordinator.
“We are targeting cooperation with two other RTs in Kampung Pulo by June this year,” she said.
The program is a joint venture between Ciliwung Merdeka, a nonprofit organization focusing on environmental and socio-cultural issues, and Ciliwung Hijau foundation, which was founded by residents in the five RTs.
“We want to motivate people in the area to boost their participation in the program,” Lestari said.
The collected waste will become additional raw material for compost production at the Compost House (Rumah Kompos), a compost-producing facility built by Ciliwung Merdeka foundation in 2008.
With additional material, Lestari said, Compost House will be able to mass produce the compost.
“Then we will be able to sell compost in large amounts to earn more money,” she said.
“The profit from the sales will be returned to residents in the form of a raise in the price of the trash to Rp 25 and then to Rp 50.”
Residents gave mixed reactions.
Housewives in RT 5 in Bukit Duri subdistrict were eager to take part in the program, according to Lestari.
“They said it was good that the trash had some value,” she said.
However, Karsinah from RT 7 in Bukit Duri regency was not too enthusiastic. “If they price the trash higher, say like at Rp 100 per kilogram, then I will [do it],” she said.
Lestari acknowledged that one of the challenges was to raise settlers’ awareness about the importance of trash management.
According to RT 7 Chairman Husen Gunawan, residents in his area have different opinions on the trash problem.
“There are those who are concerned about the trash problem, and those who aren’t, who say ‘I have paid Rp 3,000 (25 US cents) a month to the RT, if no one takes care of my trash, I’ll just throw it into the river’,” Husen said. (adh)
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