Clean Rivers, a global non-profit dedicated to tackling plastic pollution in river systems, becomes a Project STOP Scale-Up Partner.
Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau Phase 3 is a key implementation project for Clean Rivers within a bilateral agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia to reduce plastic waste leakage to the ocean.
Project STOP aims to establish the first Regency-wide circular waste management system in Indonesia and provide access to waste management services for nearly 2 million people across all Project STOP locations.
Project STOP, co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq in 2017, is delighted to welcome Clean Rivers as a Scale-Up Partner and funder for Phase 3 of the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau program. Clean Rivers, a global non-profit organization dedicated to transforming river systems into catalysts for sustainable development, joins forces with Project STOP to establish Indonesia’s first Regency-wide waste management system in the Banyuwangi Regency, East-Java, Indonesia.
Project STOP collaborates with the Indonesian national government, local government and municipalities in developing and implementing effective circular waste management systems and waste management services for households. By keeping materials in a loop and creating employment opportunities for local communities, Project STOP aims to reduce the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, climate change, tourism and fisheries. In addition to its expansion to Regency-level, the program is driving a transformation of Indonesia’s waste management system through plastic reduction and reuse initiatives, engaging policy makers to develop innovative waste management policies, exploring diverse financing models and leveraging technology advancements, all underpinned by a strong commitment to training and capacity building.
From Left to Right: H.E. Dr. Nani Hendiarti, Indonesian Deputy Minister for Food Affordability and Security; Ben Dixon, Partner, Systemiq; H.E. Husin Bagis, Indonesia Ambassador to the UAE; H.E. Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs; Thomas Boesen, Vice President – Middle East and Asia, Borealis; H.E. Abdullah Khalaf Al Qubaisi, Managing Director of Clean Rivers; Deborah Backus, CEO of Clean Rivers; H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; and H.E. Saeed Rashid Al Zaabi, Board Chair of Clean Rivers.
Clean Rivers’ partnership with Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau provides a significant boost to the program’s ambitions to positively impact the lives of nearly 2 million people across all Project STOP locations by reducing waste leakage into marine and riverine environments.
Working at this larger scale will create a roadmap and an enabling environment for reaching Indonesia’s government targets, which aim for a 70% handling rate of all waste and a 30% reduction of waste at source through ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, and ensuring that every family in Indonesia has access to circular waste management.
The partnership with Clean Rivers comes on the heels of the inauguration of a large-scale materials recovery facility (MRF) in September 2023 and the construction of a second MRF to commence later in 2025. Clean Rivers’ funding will enable Project STOP to expand, providing up to 850,000 people with access to the new MRF’s and an affordable, end-to-end waste management system while creating up to 1,000 full-time jobs.
The investment will therefore contribute significantly to improving community well-being and environmental sustainability in the Regency. Ultimately, Project STOP aims to provide a blueprint model for further replication across Indonesia.
Project STOP Banyuwangi Phase 3 will be a pivotal project for Clean Rivers within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed by the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment. This initiative builds on conservation efforts from the UAE and the ongoing and successful cooperation between the two countries to combat climate change and its effects, such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, and the Mohamed bin Zayed-Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Center. Clean Rivers’ contributions form part of the UAE’s USD 20 million commitment to Indonesia for waste management and clean-up projects.
