Lombok needs support to develop a sustainable waste management system. EcoRanger brings solutions by strengthening waste management institutions, capacity building, clean up, and EcoRanger Academy.
EcoRanger has strived for sustainable waste management system development in Banyuwangi to support sustainable tourism. Currently, EcoRanger spreads the impact through community empowerment in managing waste in Lombok, NTB. This is how we develop the system for Lombok.
Waste Problem in Lombok
Waste Dump in the Road Side in Lombok (Faqih Mauludin / Greeneration Foundation)All regions of Indonesia experience waste problems, and so does Lombok. The problems vary, but they somehow revolve around the absence of a responsible waste management system, limited community involvement, and lack of government’s concern to this problem.
As a result, people manage their waste conventionally through waste littering in landfills, rivers, and burning. Just some people are facilitated by a proper waste collecting facility. Based on waste accumulation data of NTB in West Lombok, East Lombok, Central Lombok, and Mataram, there are more than 1700 tonnes of waste produced per day in 2021.
To repair the waste problem in Lombok, the government created a program called Zero Waste Lombok. The government creates this program to repair waste problems from the source to the final processing. Through this program, they urge the community to sort waste from home, then it will be recycled in a waste processing center. This program achieves 49% out of 70% waste management target.
EcoRanger Waste Management System
Responding to the problem, EcoRanger brings a holistic waste management solution for Lombok. We strive to implement 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle) principle to run our strategy in supporting 5 aspects of waste management; regulation, organization, funding, multi-stakeholder participation, and operations. Now, EcoRanger comes to Bilebante dan Bonjeruk Green Tourism Village in Central Lombok as part of the National Strategic Tourism Area (Indonesia: Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional / KSPN).
Here we embody strategy to real actions to enrich people’s knowledge about the importance of sustainable waste management. Those actions are EcoRanger Academy, Clean Up, and waste management institution empowerment.
- EcoRanger Academy
EcoRanger Academy is held to enrich people’s knowledge and open their horizons about environmental issues, especially waste management. The community is equipped with responsible waste management knowledge. They are expected to become key leaders who encourage people to manage their waste from home.
- Clean Up
EcoRanger encourages people to clean up their residents and tourism destinations. Instance, we held #WisataHijauBebasSampah in Bilebante Green Tourism Village to commemorate the World Environment Day 2022. We invite local people, students, and local government to join this action.
- Waste Management Institution Empowerment
We empower local waste management institutions by organizing capacity building for 3R waste management site (Indonesia: Tempat Pengelolaan Sampah 3R / TPS 3R) officer, waste management site client education, and waste management community campaign. We run this strategy to streamline the waste management process. Therefore, they are able to process more waste and reduce residual waste. The campaign and education are held in TPS 3R to give experience to the participants to see sustainable waste processing and stimulate TPS 3R officers’ creativity in managing the education activities.
Tackling Waste Problem Supports Tourism
EcoRanger has brought various efforts to carry a mission in developing sustainable tourism in the Bilebante and Bonjeruk Green Tourism Villages. Both offer the charm of a natural landscape of green and soothing rice fields. They are similar but still have their own uniqueness. The difference is, Bonjeruk Tourism Village also presents the exoticism of historical buildings from the Dutch colonial era. Meanwhile, Bilebante Green Tourism Village offers fun and interesting outdoor activities such as cycling and camping.
Sustainable waste management systems preserve the quality of tourism sustainably because they will prevent waste pollution impacts on tourism destinations. Zero-waste tourism destinations will provide comfort for visitors and more visitors are interested to visit Bilebante and Bonjeruk Green Tourism Village. To care, to clean, to sustain!