Project STOP, co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq, has collected over 60,000 tonnes of waste, including nearly 9,000 tonnes of plastic, since 2017; many Indonesian communities are accessing formal waste services for the first time.
From its origins as a single-city scheme, the partnership has grown rapidly, extending its mission to prevent plastic pollution, improve wellbeing, and encourage the growth of Indonesia’s circular economy.
Working hand-in-hand with its governmental and non-governmental partners, Project STOP waste collection has reached new communities and created nearly 300 full-time jobs across all locations. These jobs, which support the local economies, vary from waste collection and material sorting to waste system management and administrative roles.
In September 2023, Project STOP opened a new material recovery facility with a daily processing capacity of 84 tonnes of waste per shift. Located in Songgon Municipality, Banyuwangi, East Java, it has started collecting and sorting waste from local households and is already providing access to waste services to more than 13,500 individuals.
The system enabler approach
Project STOP builds the waste management system with governments at the local level over several years. It then steps back so that local stakeholders can fully operate their own systems. In 2023, Project STOP handed over operations in its second and third cities – Pasuruan and Jembrana – after nearly four years operating on the ground.
Its success owes much to its meaningful collaborations and close relationships with various Indonesian government bodies, including the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs, the National Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Banyuwangi regency government.
project stop: Next steps in Banyuwangi
With Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau, the programme is now focusing on the full regency level and recently shifted into implementation mode by opening a large-scale materials recovery facility and launching initial service rollouts.
The programme has built upon a long-standing strategic partnership with the Banyuwangi government, a collaboration highlighted by the direct backing of Ipuk Fiestiandani, the Banyuwangi Regent. She has emphasized the ongoing global waste issue and stressed the imperative need for cooperation among stakeholders to prevent environmental waste leakage.
Thomas Gangl, CEO of Borealis, said: “We are very proud to further extend our commitment to Project STOP, striving to provide Indonesia’s first Regency-wide waste management system, enabling access to sustainable waste collection to all residents in Banyuwangi.”
Borealis will fully finance the building of a second facility under the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau expansion and the roll-out of waste services to an additional 250,000 people in the region.
