REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries (KKP) through the Local Area of National Aquatic Conservation Area (LKKPN) of Pekanbaru, Directorate General of Marine and Marine Space Management (Ditjen PKRL) is campaigning downstream of garbage as one of the important efforts in handling plastic waste in the sea.

It started with a waste reduction campaign with the theme “Hilirization of Garbage, Awaken the Blue Economy” in Oyster Beach, Nagari Tapakis, Ulakan Tapakis District, Padang Pariaman Regency. In addition to being carried out in commemoration of National Garbage Concern Day, this activity is intended to reduce the amount of garbage around the conservation area.

Director General of Marine and Marine Space Management Victor Gustaaf Manoppo said that the waste reduction campaign is part of Moon Love Laut as well as a form of CCP commitment in implementing Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2018 on Marine Waste Management. Through this regulation, the Indonesian Government continues to strive to reduce waste by 30 percent through 3R (Reuse, Reduce and Recycle) and reduce plastic waste entering the sea by 70 percent until 2025.

“This CCP campaign continues to be a form of commitment to reduce marine litter and to be an effective educational tool to increase public awareness and participation in controlling pollution that occurs in the coasts and seas, “Victor said in a written statement in Jakarta, Sunday (3/3/2024).

According to Victor, protecting the marine environment from the threat of damage that one of them is caused by garbage is a must. For this, innovative and creative measures are needed in waste management and involve community participation.

This series of campaigns consists of planting mangrove seedlings, coastal clean action and socialization of waste sorting of economical value. Recycled garbage and residual waste successfully collected reach a weight of 170 kilograms and predominate of plastic packaging types.

KKP also provided assistance in the form of garbage bins to the Conservation Movers Society Group (KOMPAK) Raja Samudera, which has so far been considered to actively collaborate in dealing with waste from tourism activities with traders in Oyster Beach. Not just the CCP, PT. Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Sumbagut DPPU Minangkabau as a cooperation partner of LKKPN Pekanbaru handed over 750 mangrove trunks to preserve the mangrove ecosystem in the coast.

Meanwhile, Head of LKKPN Pekanbaru Rahmat Irfansyah explained that cleaning up plastic waste in the sea through Moon Love Laut is one of the policies on the CCP's priority agenda. It engaged KOMPAK to deal with plastic waste that leaked onto small islands within the Pieh Island Conservation Area.

“The garbage that has been collected and sorted out will be transported to the garbage bank so that garbage is not just solid waste that is no longer useful but becomes a product worth rupiah that can be an alternative livelihood for people,” Irfan said.

Irfan also hopes that this waste reduction campaign can educate the general public about the dangers of garbage, manage waste wisely and love the sea so that there is no garbage, the sea is healthy and Indonesia is prosperous.

On the same occasion, Gilplas Sumbar Founder Alvin Zamzani who was involved in the activity explained that plastic waste is one of the export commodities of quite high economic value after going through a processing process that produces recycled processed products. Plastic waste processing consists of the introduction of plastic type, purchase/collection process, assortment process and processing process.

“Naturally, we hope that this waste reduction campaign can increase people's knowledge and insight into economically valuable plastic waste so as to help tackle waste directly from its source and prevent plastic waste from leaking into the ocean,” Alvin said.