Eric E. van Monckhoven

My last assignment was with Terre des hommes Italy for the definition and implementation of UNDP's Waste Management Livelihood Project in Aceh, Indonesia. It all ends in the end of October 2010.

It was great to help rebuild the local economy in Aceh focusing on recycling and supporting local SMEs to improve their performance in that sector. 

In Indonesia, boosting the recycling sector and educating people to a new culture of waste has become a necessity. With a population of more than 245 million people and a growth rate of 1.2%, waste generation is on the rise. Despite the government’s efforts, numerous communities around the country are left with mounting waste problems that can have deadly consequences.

Estimates talk about a production of 55,000 tons of solid wastes in urban areas every day, of which only 50 to 60 per cent are collected, mostly in higher income areas.

Among the answers to this challenging problem, one is about putting a clear emphasis on avoiding waste generation and minimizing the waste stream wherever possible. In Aceh, turning trash into cash is the kind of sport many “recyclists” have started to practice with successful results. They are able to earn money to support their family and at the same time help to keep the environment clean.

Most of them started after the Earthquake and Tsunami of 26 December 200. Many local district governments in Aceh were facing the enormous challenge of cleaning up large parts of their territory and removing debris and associated waste materials from a wide coastal stretch.

During 2005-2007 a substantial amount of earthquake and tsunami debris were recovered and either recycled or safely disposed of in engineered landfill cells. In parallel, programmes such as UNDP’s Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Programme (TRMWP) worked to reactivate and develop municipal solid waste management services. Concerted Indonesian and international support was organised to strengthen the service delivery capability of the dinas kebersihans - district sanitation departments.

Through the Tsunami Waste Management Livelihoods Project launched in May 2007, UNDP’s TRWMP aimed to create waste management related sustainable livelihoods by targeting the collection and processing of recyclable waste through community and private sector interventions. Giving support to SMEs, NGOs and CBOs through the distribution of working equipment and the delivery of small grants, the programme contributed to boost the recycling sector in Aceh.

Recycling has proved to be a great opportunity for income generation for many individuals and families. It also plays a key role in reducing waste going into landfills.