IWP Reports 89 Waste Trips in Labuan Bajo Area in 2022
IWP said it carried out 89 waste-collection trips in 2022 across islands near Labuan Bajo, collecting 51,881 kilograms of material and sending recyclables for processing on Java.
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Labuan Bajo — The Indonesian Waste Platform said it made 89 waste-collection trips in 2022 across four islands and part of Labuan Bajo, gathering 51,881 kilograms of material from coastal communities, according to its year-end newsletter.
The newsletter said the work covered Komodo, Papagaran, Mesah and Seraya islands, with weekly visits by the IWP team and supporting volunteers when weather conditions allowed. It said safety concerns sometimes limited travel into the Komodo National Park area and to Seraya.
IWP said the programme involved fishing communities, village heads, women’s groups and schools. It also said it worked with the Marine Debris Research Centre, the SALS group, the West Manggarai government and Komodo National Park authorities to expand collection of recyclables and litter.
What the 2022 figures show
IWP’s newsletter broke the total into recyclable and non-recyclable material. It said the 51,881 kilograms collected included 26,948 kilograms of recyclable plastics and carton, and 24,933 kilograms of non-recyclables.
The recyclable share was slightly more than half of the total reported material. IWP said the recyclables were sorted, prepared for recycling, baled and weighed before being sent to SALS on Java.
The newsletter did not give a final accounting of how much material was ultimately recycled or how the non-recyclable fraction was disposed of. It also described the system as one that could be replicated in other remote regions.
In a separate section, the newsletter said IWP’s sorting team consisted entirely of women working part-time and receiving the standard minimum wage, but it did not specify the number of workers.
Broader programme
The 2022 work was presented as part of IWP’s wider community-led waste management effort in West Manggarai. The newsletter also said the organisation planned to expand collection to Ruteng in 2023.
A separate Indonesian government publication on the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s site said Indonesian Waste Platform has been active in helping Komodo National Park authorities collect, sort and process waste found inside the park, supporting the broader picture described in the newsletter.
Sources
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