Ahmad Yani spent years sifting through truckloads of imported factory waste in his East Java village, searching for recyclables to survive.
For decades, residents in his community bought waste residue from paper and cardboard recycling factories, separating plastics to sell as furnace fuel or to fire local limestone kilns, the ABC reported.
Mr. Yani said he could earn approximately 300,000 rupiah ($24) a month through this work. He said that among the discarded materials, he frequently encountered food sachets and pet food packaging bearing Australian and European labels.
While the practice provided a livelihood, the resulting smoke from burning plastics in village homes carried severe health consequences. Mr. Yani said that several people he knew, who had operated limestone kilns, died from respiratory diseases of unknown origin.
Researchers from the Climate and Health Centre at Brawijaya University discovered that many residents were unaware of the dangers associated with the smoke.
Pre-screening tests conducted earlier this year on more than 4,000 participants across six villages indicated that at least 20 per cent were at high risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“When we first entered these communities, one of the most distressing findings was that many people were unaware of the dangers associated with burning plastic waste,” researcher Sekar Aqila Salsabilla told the ABC. She added that while workers knew their health was declining, they did not link the decline to the waste burning.
Shift in waste processing
The open burning of plastic in Mr. Yani’s village stopped about a year ago. Local media reports suggested companies ceased distributing waste to the community, sparking anger among residents who lost their income, though the ABC could not independently verify the cause of this change.
Much of the waste is now converted into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and burned in designated facilities. However, Ms. Salsabilla argued that this approach merely relocates the problem rather than solving it, as the facilities still rely on human sorting.
Activists call for stricter controls on waste exports
Environmental activists continue to press for stricter controls on waste exports. Daru Setyorini, executive director of the local activist group Ecoton, said that plastics with Australian labels are still found in the region and that some residents continue to burn plastics in secret.
“The monitoring and enforcement are still weak,” Ms. Setyorini told the ABC. “Ideally, these imports from Australia should just be stopped altogether.”
Australia exported 701,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard to Indonesia in the most recent financial year, according to data analysis by Joe Pickin at Blue Environment. While these exports are legal, concerns persist regarding plastic contaminants exceeding the 2 per cent limit imposed by Indonesia.
The Australian Council of Recycling said that many material recovery facilities have invested in upgrading operations to meet quality standards. “Failure to enforce these rules not only risks environmental harm but also disadvantages operators doing the right thing, undermining their investments,” CEO Suzanne Toumbourou said.
Questions about future waste governance
The Indonesian environment ministry is collaborating with regional governments on a national framework intended to achieve comprehensive waste management by 2029, according to Mr. Rusly.
* What are the specific health impacts of burning plastic? The World Health Organization states that exposure to emissions from open waste burning can lead to coughing, skin irritation, and respiratory diseases.
* Is it still legal for Australia to export waste to Indonesia? Yes, Australia can legally export recyclable plastic waste, provided the materials meet quality requirements and do not exceed the 2 per cent contamination threshold for paper and cardboard imports.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has been contacted for comment.
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