The Government of Jembrana Regency, in Northwest Bali, hosted a ground-breaking ceremony to kick off construction of a new waste processing facility. The facility is the regency’s first-ever solid waste management service that aims to benefit as many as 150,000 residents, and this sustainable full waste recycling system is expected to create new and permanent jobs for the community.

The ground-breaking that has taken place through a partnership between Project STOP, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (the Alliance), and the Jembrana Regency, aims to eliminate plastic waste leakage into the environment.

The facility will be equipped with sorting and waste processing areas, residue handling equipment and other supporting facilities to manage and recycle both organic and non-organic waste from households and businesses. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2020.

“Waste management is a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Waste services for the community must continue to run to create a clean and healthy environment,” said I Wayan Sudiarta, head of Jembrana’s Environmental Office. “We are pleased to work in this partnership to socialise the importance of waste management, collect household waste and provide the recycling facility for the community. The start of construction on this facility marks a major milestone for local job opportunities, while strengthening the commitment to provide good services in the waste management sector,” he added.

“Three billion people around the world still lack access to organised solid waste management systems, and the work we start today in Jembrana paves the way for us to demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of these solutions,” said Jacob Duer, president and CEO, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. “More people are coming on this journey with us and Project STOP Jembrana is an example of a public-private partnership that will deliver a solution we can replicate in cities where plastic waste leakage in the environment is the highest.”

“We at Borealis are pleased to see the rapid progress being made at Project STOP’s Jembrana city partnership,” commented Alfred Stern, Borealis CEO. “Collaboration with the Alliance to End Plastics Waste on key projects such as this is in line with our commitment to avoid plastics entering the ocean and environment by providing sustainable waste management with the engagement of local communities.”

Since the start of July 2020, Jembrana residents have benefited from formal waste collection, many for the first time. It is expected that within two years, more than 150,000 people in the regency will have a formal waste collection service through the Project STOP Jembrana initiative.

“The Jembrana community is the heart of this important effort to keep waste out of the environment and protect lives and livelihoods,” said Joi Danielson, Programme Director, Project STOP. “The commitment of the Jembrana government, with the support of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, has been essential to our mission to create a circular waste management system and stop environmental plastic pollution.”