press release Transforming household and production waste to rupiah
PT CPI – Unilak empowers Riau waste bank
Pekanbaru, August 12, 2020 – Organizations from private and public sectors have partnered with higher education to introduce the first waste bank in the Rumbai Pesisir subdistrict of Pekanbaru. On Wednesday, August 12, 2020, PT. Chevron Pacific Indonesia (PT CPI), the City Government of Pekanbaru and Lancang Kuning University (Unilak) signed a community development partnership agreement to harness and manage household waste for economic value.
The new agreement also marked the launch of Berkah Abadi Waste Bank, which is expected to become the central waste bank in Pekanbaru working with the government and the private sector.
“We hope this waste bank program will help the government and the local community in two aspects,” said GM Corporate Affairs Asset PT CPI Sukamto Tamrin, “which are economic empowerment through increased revenue and environmental improvement through waste management.”
The signing ceremony was held at Berkah Abadi Waste Bank in Limbungan in the Rumbai Pesisir subdistrict. It was attended by Pekanbaru Mayor, Dr. Firdaus, Unilak Rector, Dr. Junaidi, and SKK Migas Northern Sumatra Chief Representative, Haryanto Syafri.
“Household waste does not create a problem, it creates a blessing,” said Dr. Firdaus in his opening speech, “It can actually become a very useful resource when it is well managed creatively and innovatively. The waste bank is the best way to achieve this useful objective.”
PT CPI appointed Unilak Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM), as a program execution partner. In addition to running the Rumbai Pesisir program, PT CPI also runs similar programs in three other locations – the Pematang Pudu Bersih Waste Bank in Bengkalis Regency and the Berkelana Waste Bank and Induk Pelangi Waste Bank in Siak Regency.
“This is a good step whereby waste can turn into savings,” said Dr. Junaidi. “We will always be ready to give assistance to increase waste bank capacity.”
Program participants are provided with technical training, assistance, supervision and evaluation. Each location is also given equipment and other aid, including a mobile operational unit, plastic waste washer machine, plastic crusher machine, 100 kg capacity weighing scale, hydraulic press machine, computer, whiteboard, brochures, uniforms and safety boots.
Before participating in the PT CPI program, Berkah Abadi Waste Bank group simply provided temporary collection of waste that would eventually be transported to a landfilled. After the training and equipment aid supplied by PT CPI, Berkah Abadi Waste Bank is targeting approximately 1,000 households to become regular customers.
“The aid will be utilized to increase the group’s income and produce creative recycled products,” said Ibnu Nazar, chief of Berkah Abadi Waste Bank, adding that Rumbai Pesisir produces an average of 65 tons of household and production waste every day.
Waste bank management is one of PT CPI’s social investment programs in the environmental and economic empowerment fields. The waste bank management program started in 2015 with a pilot project managed by an environmental business group in Pematang Pudu village in the Mandau district of Bengkalis Regency.
Other PT CPI social investment programs in the environment field are mangrove conservation in partnership with the Archipelago Nature Conservation Foundation, or Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN); elephant conservation in partnership with the Indonesia Elephant Society, or Perkumpulan Gajah Indonesia (PGI); and the Peat Care Village Program, or Program Desa Peduli Gambut, in Siak and Rokan Hilir in partnership with the Peat Restoration Board, or Badan Restorasi Gambut (BRG).