TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Environment and Forestry Ministry assessed that Surabaya City in East Java Province is a feasible location to serve as a pilot city for implementing the waste-to-energy project.

Director for Toxic and Hazardous Waste (B3) Management at the Ministry Yulia Suryanti made the statement during her visit to the Benowo Waste-to-Electrical Energy Management (PSEL) facility, on Friday (February 10, 2023), as part of a series of activities marking National Waste Commemoration Day (HPSN).

“We have a program this year (in 2023), namely Zero Waste, Zero Emission Indonesia. Thus, it (the PSEL in Surabaya City) can become a pilot for other regions,” she noted, as quoted from a statement received on Saturday.

Furthermore, Suryanti elaborated on the reason behind the Environment and Forestry Ministry choosing Surabaya as one of the reference cities for the 2023 HPSN.

“(It is) because Surabaya is the first city that successfully proves its concrete attempt in managing waste into electrical energy,” the director noted.

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Earlier, Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi had stated that the 37.4-hectare landfill (TPA) in Benowo Sub-district, Surabaya City, had been operating since 2001.

“Since the city government wants to implement effective (waste) processing, we increase the participation of the community (in managing waste) with 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) program,” he remarked.

Through the 3R program, the volume of waste dumped into the Benowo landfill can be reduced by up to 20 percent, he noted.

Nonetheless, his side continues to strive to improve the effectiveness of the landfill in tackling waste management problems in the city.