The Phenomenon of Garbage Accumulation in Indonesia

As if it has become a bad culture, garbage accumulation and littering behavior has always been a major topic in Indonesia. Many programs have been implemented by the government in overcoming this problem, such as training on recycling organic and non-organic waste, and campaigning for the movement to reduce plastic waste. However, until now the amount of plastic waste in the final management site is still piling up and causing pollution. In traditional markets, there is also a lot of garbage found across the road and not cleaned properly. This phenomenon of garbage accumulation often disturbs the affected residents around it, especially public health. This is due to the lack of awareness of residents in disposing of waste in the trash. The trash cans available in various places are also almost unorganized, so that people are sometimes confused and impatient to look for garbage disposal. In everyday life, many people still use plastic bags to shop for various household needs. Only in certain places and cities do they not use plastic bags as packaging. 

It takes a very long time to decompose plastic waste. Even though it has decomposed, plastic waste will pollute the soil and groundwater. Garbage that is disposed of carelessly will clog the waterways so that it can cause flooding. The fastest way to solve plastic waste is to burn it, but burning waste will produce toxic fumes that are very dangerous for health. In addition, the burning of waste will reduce the thickness of the earth's atmosphere. The various problems above must be addressed quickly and appropriately.

An alternative solution in overcoming the waste problem is to apply the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) movement. Reduce is reducing the use of goods or using goods only for urgent needs. Reuse is reusing goods that have been used, so as to reduce the types of waste or products that have accumulated before. Recycling is the process of turning used materials into new materials into goods that have a useful value. These 3R activities must be introduced and cultivated from an early age, both in the family, school and community environment. Through these three activities, it is hoped that they will be able to reduce the accumulation of plastic waste, utilize waste as a source of income, create a prosperous society and improve public health by seeking a clean and healthy environment.