February 25, 2026 | 05:49 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, said he would assist the Bandung City Government in solving the waste problem, including deploying students to help address waste issues during the field study (KKN).
During his visit to the Bandung City Hall on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Brian said that Bandung City has strong potential, namely a network of large universities and a large number of students. Campuses in Bandung, he said, would be involved in mapping needs, infrastructure, business model studies, community education, and sending students through thematic KKN.
"Campuses map the needs of composting, maggot processing, biodigesters, and RDF to the supply chain. After that, we propose it to the central government. So it doesn't burden the local budget," Brian said, quoted from a press release on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
Brian stated that the approach to waste management involving universities would be more efficient than building large-scale waste-to-energy facilities, which could cost Rp2-3 trillion per unit. "If this model succeeds in Bandung, it can be implemented in all cities in Indonesia next year," he said.
The waste management program involving universities is part of the appointment of five regions as a pilot project for collaborative waste management based on collaboration between universities and local governments, namely Bandung, Bogor, Tangerang, Purwokerto, and Yogyakarta.
The program in Bandung is planned to involve universities, the central government, the city government, and the military/police in special supervision, especially in the hotel, restaurant, cafe, and market sectors. Law enforcement measures and incentives are also prepared. "We will make Bandung a national exemplar. This year, we will work together," he said.
Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan mentioned that Bandung City produces 1,507.85 tons of waste per day, with about 60 percent coming from households, dominated by food waste and leaves.
Meanwhile, he claims that according to the Ministry of Environment's evaluation, only about 21.63 percent of all waste generated has been properly managed through sorting, processing, and utilization. The rest ends up in landfills or scattered in the environment. There are also practices of illegal waste dumping in border areas and specific areas, as well as the involvement of individuals in unofficial waste transportation chains.
Farhan said that the Bandung City Government is currently launching the Gaslah program (Waste Sorter and Processor Officers) by recruiting 1,590 officers to be placed in each neighborhood unit (RW) in Bandung City. They are responsible for educating people about the collection and transportation of organic waste.
The goal for each officer is to collect at least 25 kilograms of organic waste per day. The Bandung City Government allocates a budget of up to Rp24 billion per year. Its implementation is monitored digitally and in real time and used as a performance indicator for district heads and others. "Without social engineering and enforcement, it won't be finished. The upstream process must be fixed first," Farhan said, quoted from a press release on Wednesday.
He mentioned that the Gaslah program is also integrated with old waste-related programs, including Kang Pisman, Buruan Sae, Dapur Sehat Atasi Stunting to build a circular ecosystem. Organic waste, for example, is processed into compost/maggots for urban farming, the results of which are for residents. "This is the primary circular Bandung. We are building a culture, not just technology," he said.
According to Farhan, the key to the program's success is reducing waste production per person. He said that currently, Bandung residents produce 0.58 kilograms of waste per day, but the goal is to reduce that amount to below 0.4 kilograms per day. "If awareness is not built, whatever the technology, it will fail," he said.
Read: World Waste Awareness Day: How Microplastics Enter the Human Body
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