The “Refuse plastic” project aims to establish exemplary, sustainable waste management in coastal villages on the southeastern island of Sulawesi. Clean-ups will raise awareness and provide training in sorting in the villages, and a collection circuit will be set up. A recycling chain will also be developed to maximize the value of waste.
A catastrophic context
With over 3,600 tonnes of plastic dumped into the sea every day, Indonesia is the world’s 2nd biggest contributor of plastic waste to the ocean. This scourge stems from the virtual absence of waste collection and treatment systems, the country’s island nature and high population density (270 million inhabitants spread over 6,000 inhabited islands), and the ubiquity of over-packaged food products.
The large island of Sulawesi is located in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. It is home to a terrestrial and marine biodiversity that is unique in the world. At the heart of the Coral Triangle, its coral reefs are among the richest on the planet. Its southeastern coastline features a string of rocky paradise islets and fishing villages where tourism is just beginning to develop. But here too, the beaches are littered with garbage, mostly of local origin. And with good reason: in the villages, these are burnt or thrown into the water. They threaten not only marine biodiversity, but also the health and food security of local populations, as well as the vital fishing and fledgling tourism economies.
“Setting up exemplary, sustainable waste management in the coastal villages of southeast Sulawesi”.
our objectives
Raising awareness of ocean protection to bring about behavioral change
Preserving food resources and the fishing economy
Prevent plastic waste from reaching the ocean, collect and recycle waste already on the shoreline
Increase local capacity and revenues for the recycling industry
Mobilize and lobby local authorities to take action on the neglected waste issue
Helping local communities organize themselves to manage waste
Protecting marine biodiversity from plastic pollution
Raising awareness of visual pollution and supporting the development of sustainable tourism
Our method
Clean-up missions will be carried out several times a year in each of the region’s 24 coastal and island communities, jointly by ecovolunteers, villagers and, wherever possible, the local authorities concerned. These ‘Cleanup Days‘, which are very popular locally, will also be an opportunity to train people in sorting and explain the negative impacts of plastic in the ocean (in 2018 and 2019, alongside the production of more than 20 awareness-raising presentations, 5 tonnes of waste were collected in around ten localities).
A collection system (household waste bins and neighborhood bins) will be set up in the villages, along with a boat dedicated to evacuating and transporting waste to a sorting center in Kendari, the province’s capital.
Local authorities will also be regularly involved inadvocacy actions.
To increase the value of waste and reduce landfill as much as possible, we support Setiawan, a local recycling entrepreneur, by financing the purchase of machinery (shredder for hard plastics, mini hydraulic press for PET, pyrolyzer for soft plastics) to recycle the plastics collected (in 2019, we have already equipped him with a pickup enabling him to collect 5 times more waste for recycling).
Finally, a local project manager will be recruited to coordinate all the players involved.
“Clean-ups to raise awareness and train people in waste sorting in the villages, then set up a collection circuit.”
our Needs
This project needs initial support to get it off the ground quickly: the purchase of recycling machines purchase ofa boat and supplies to demonstrate the feasibility of the project in the first villages and to convince local authorities to make a long-term commitment; lastly, thehiring a project manager dedicated to coordination and advocacy.
Funding scale :
project manager’s salary €4,000 / year
recycling machines €6,000
waste collection boat €10,000
“A recycling chain/sector will be developed to extract maximum value from waste.”
Why support us?
You would like to :
Taking concrete action against the scourge of plastic pollution
Helping to protect the oceans and marine life
Supporting the development of a recycling industry
Helping to ensure a decent future for island communities
Who are we?
Naturevolution has been working to preserve exceptionally biodiverse wilderness areas in Sulawesi since 2014.
This project, carried out jointly with Toli Toli Giant Clam Conservation, a local marine conservation association, is part of the various complementary initiatives (eco-tourism, reforestation, coral protection, lobbying, scientific research, awareness-raising, bee-keeping, etc.) launched by Naturevolution for safeguard the unique terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Konawe karsts.
