In Indonesia, Borealis is to invest in the further expansion of the project launched together with Systemiq in 2017 that aims to reduce environmental pollution by plastic waste. With a comprehensive financing commitment to extend the project, Borealis wants to drive the circular economy for plastics in the region by setting up circular waste management systems.

 

According to Borealis, the overall aim is to recycle 25,000 tonnes of plastics in Indonesia each year by the end of Project STOP in 2025. The waste management solutions put in place during this period are devised to help prevent plastics getting into the environment, and thus contribute to Indonesia's national commitment to reduce plastic pollution of the oceans by 70 percent by the year 2025. For this purpose, the players participating in the STOP Project are, according to the reports, working closely with local city governments in Muncar and Pasuruan in Java and in Jembrana in Bali, and are supporting the cities with technical know-how in order to prevent waste losses, increase recycling quotas, establish economically sustainable programs and create new jobs. In cooperation with all government levels such as national ministries, local authorities, communities and the private sector, the establishment of the necessary infrastructure has been successful, as corroborated by Systemiq partner, Joi Danielson. The required investment was guaranteed and a sustainable financing model has been developed that covers the running costs of the system.

According to Borealis, it was possible, up to the end of April 2021, in cooperation with the three partner cities, to install waste disposal systems for around 200,000 people, to collect over 11,000 tonnes of waste and, at the same time, to prevent the disposal of nearly 10,000 tonnes of waste into the environment. In order to achieve the prime target of the project participants, namely to safeguard the economic sustainability of the waste disposal, work is continuing on the development of sustainable financing models through state and private systems. The follow-up financing of the project, which has now been promised, will contribute to the setting-up of control and regulating structures with clear responsibilities and accountabilities, and will thus further contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the waste management system. In the meantime, the Norwegian Government, Nova Chemicals, Nestlé, Borouge, the  Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and the printing ink manufacturer Siegwerk are also participating in the Project STOP.

 

Further information: www.borealis.com, www.borealiseverminds.com, www.systemiq.earth

 

Sources:

• plasticker.de (6/11/2021)
• Photo: © Borealis