Project STOP celebrates a milestone this week: the handover of its second city partnership in the Pasuruan Regency of East Java, Indonesia. The local government and community will take sole management of its work to reduce waste and plastics leakage and to support circularity of materials.
The handover marks a coming-of-age for Project STOP Pasuruan, which provides waste collection to more than 132,000 people in Lekok and Nguling Municipality, East Java. It has created 120 new jobs in the community, and collected over 5,000 tonnes of waste – including over 700 tonnes of plastic – since the programme started in 2019.
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and Systemiq, Project STOP is based on public-private partnership. It works with cities in Indonesia to create effective, circular waste management systems. Supported by industry and government partners, it aims to achieve zero leakage of waste into the environment, recycle more plastics, build economically sustainable programs, and create economic and health benefits for local communities.
Projects such as these support an ambitious national target to reduce ocean plastic pollution by 70% in 2025. “The Indonesian Government appreciates the role of Project STOP, Nestlé, Systemiq, local government and all of the parties in supporting the government’s efforts to create a circular economy and finding total solutions in waste management to increase the community welfare”, said Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through Directorate General PSLB3, Vivien Rosa Ratnawati. “I hope that initiatives like this will inspires other parties to do the same thing. H. M. Irsyad Yusuf, Regent of Pasuruan, added: “We are very pleased with the multi-stakeholder collaboration operated continuously by the local government to promote sustainable waste systems that are economically profitable and provide new job opportunities for the local communities.”
“Proper waste management requires lasting efforts and significant contributions from all stakeholders involved and is vital for the health and well-being of our local communities,” said Mike Webster, Programme Director of Project STOP at Systemiq. “We are extremely grateful for the partnership with the Indonesian government, the Pasuruan government, our project funders and partners, and community leaders. It is wonderful to be able to hand over an established waste management system so that they can continue efforts on the ground.”
© Project STOP co-founder and partners with Pasuruan officials. From left to right: Head of Environmental Agency, Heru Farianto; Programme Director-Systemiq, Mike Webster; Director of Sustainability, Nestlé Indonesia, Prawitya Soemadijo; Pasuruan Regent, Irsyad Yusuf; Manager Circular Economy Solutions, Anthony Berthold; Global Public Affairs Lead, Packaging & Sustainability at Nestlé, Jodie Roussell; Packaging Sustainability Manager Center at Nestle, Alison Bramfitt; and Head of Sales Flexible Packaging Business Unit, Siegwerk, Elia Agung Kurniawan.
