USAID SELARAS: Reducing Land-Based Sources of Ocean Plastic Pollution

Context

Poor solid waste management poses risks to human health and the environment by polluting our cities and contributing to ocean plastics pollution. Improperly managed solid waste is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions due to trash burning and open dumps, where the breakdown of organic materials over time generates methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 25-34 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a contributor to global warming.

In Indonesia, a total of 36 million tons of waste—the equivalent of 23 garbage trucks per minute—is generated every year. Only 15 percent of that waste is treated, and 13 percent is recycled. Indonesia also faces a growing plastic pollution crisis. Seventy percent of Indonesia’s plastic waste—about 4.8 million tons per year—is mismanaged. An estimated 620,000 tons of waste leaks into waterways and the ocean each year.

USAID Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management and Partnership (USAID SELARAS)

USAID SELARAS advances Indonesia’s development goals of reducing land-based sources of ocean plastics pollution and methane by promoting sustainable and integrated solid waste management and recycling systems in cities. The activity addresses governance, financing, service expansion, and social behavior change in the solid waste sector, in partnership with the private sector, civil society, and city governments.

USAID SELARAS works with government at the national, provincial, and local levels, strategically targeting high-impact and catalytic interventions that will have the greatest influence on improving the quality and coverage of service delivery. The activity partners with key institutions and stakeholders to support progress toward the Government of Indonesia (GOI)’s development objectives of 100 percent of solid waste managed by 2024 and marine plastics pollution reduced by 70 percent by 2025. USAID SELARAS will also pave the way to a circular economy and achievement of the goals of the Golden Indonesia Vision 2045—90 percent of waste treated, 35 percent recycled, and 10 percent disposed of in landfills by 2045.

Anticipated Results

Facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of 35 policy instruments, such as laws, regulations, standards, and others, that promote reduction of plastic pollution and sustainable management of municipal solid waste;
Divert two million metric tons of solid waste from the environment;
Engage 400,000 households or establishments to participate in the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and solid waste management activities;
Increase plastic waste recycled and collected by 20 percent;
Improve the capacity of 65 public and private entities to implement solid waste management; and
Mobilize $110 million of investment mobilized for 3Rs or solid waste management programs.