Electronic Waste, a New Threat to the Environment is coming!

• The results of Save the Children Indonesia's research entitled Circular Geniuses found that the total potential for electronic waste in Makassar City reached 5,651.2 tons per year .
• In Makassar, there are around two hundred scavengers, children aged between 6-17 years who work to collect this electronic waste.
• As well as being a problem, the circular electronics sector or e-waste recycling could actually create 75,000 decent and green jobs by 2030, which could contribute to a more inclusive green transition.
• DLH Makassar will try to campaign for the dangers of electronic waste to the RT, RW and school levels and encourage regulations at the regional level through regional regulations.

Electronic waste has become an urban problem that needs serious management. In Indonesia, e-waste reaches 1.8 million tons per year, only 10 percent is managed properly and has official permits, the rest is managed by the informal sector, both individuals and groups who do not have permits and are not registered.

In Indonesia, electronic waste is included in the category of hazardous waste and requires special permits for handling it as stipulated in Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management and Government Regulation Number 101 of 2014 concerning Management of Hazardous and Toxic Wastes.

The island of Java contributes the largest amount of electronic waste (56%), the island of Sumatra (22%), and the remainder is distributed across all regions in Indonesia.

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Electronic waste in Makassar

Chief Advocacy, Campaign, Communication & Media Save the Children Indonesia , Troy Pantouw in his presentation said that electronic waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world, and has the potential to become the second most waste after plastic and textile waste.

"Electronic waste that is not managed properly will become polluting and produce emissions, so that it poses a risk to public health, including children," he said at the Co-creation Circular Genius workshop in Makassar (16/2/2023).

A research report from Save the Children entitled Circular Geniuses released in February 2023 stated that the total potential for electronic waste in Makassar City reached 5,651.2 tons per year.

There are three districts that have the largest electronic waste, namely Makassar, Mamajang, and Mariso Districts. There are also various types of waste, most of them are televisions, cell phones, fans, rice cookers, irons, refrigerators, laptops and air-conditioners (AC).

Research finds that people manage e-waste by storing (40%), selling (33%), repairing (20%), disposing of (4%), and only 3 percent is recycled.

According to Troy, one of the main factors causing children to get involved in garbage collection in Makassar is the economic factor where parents force their children to work as scavengers.

In Makassar alone there are about two hundred children scavengers aged between 6-17 years. They are at the lowest level in the e-waste system as collectors.

“Unsafe sorting processes are also being done by them but not that frequently. Such as burning plastic openly, and disassembling circuit board components in an unsafe manner. It was exacerbated by not having the proper safety equipment,” he continued.

"The safety and health of the children can be comprised by this"

Can add value

Apart from being a problem, Troy said that the circular electronics sector or e-waste recycling could actually create 75,000 decent and environmentally friendly jobs by 2030. With 91 percent women and contributing to inclusive green transition programs.

Save the Children itself, in collaboration with Accenture, has been mapping the potential and problems of e-waste management in Makassar since the end of 2022.

The aim is to support scavenger families by ensuring health and safety, increasing family skills and education to rise from poverty, and ensuring better jobs.

Ferdi Mochtar, Acting Head of the Makassar City Environment Agency, appreciated the research conducted by Save the Children Indonesia. He said he would take concrete steps to overcome the existing problems.

According to him, the most important thing to do now is to campaign for the dangers of electronic waste to the RT, RW and school levels and push for regulations at the regional level.

So far, he said, the management of electronic waste refers to Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management and Government Regulation Number 101 of 2014 concerning Management of Hazardous and Toxic Waste.

Ferdi sees that schools will become the target of socialization, including designing special boxes for electronic waste collection. His party is also open if there are start-ups or companies that can be invited to work together.

Veronica, Head of the UPT Bank Garbage Center for the Makassar Environment Service, stated that there are several items of electronic waste that cannot be reprocessed.

"Some electronic waste that we consider dangerous, such as light bulbs, television tubes, and infusion bottles, cannot be reprocessed because they are considered dangerous," he explained.