Project STOP celebrates a major milestone this year: the handover of its second city partnership in the Pasuruan Regency, East Java, demonstrating how a strong public-private partnership can reduce waste and plastics leakage into the environment and support circularity of materials. On the occasion of Indonesia’s National Waste Awareness Day, Project STOP handed over the programme to the Pasuruan government, to be managed solely by them and the communities of Lekok and Nguling.
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and Systemiq, Project STOP (STOP Ocean Plastics) works with cities in Indonesia to create effective, circular waste management systems. Supported by industry and government partners, Project STOP aims to achieve zero leakage of waste into the environment, recycle more plastics, build economically sustainable programs, and create economic and health benefits for local communities.
Community participation is at the heart of the programme. To date, Project STOP Pasuruan has reached 132,000 people with formal waste collection services and is both recycling and composting waste in its two material processing facilities (MRF). Each MRF has a capacity of 25 tonnes per day, creating 120 permanent jobs for the community, and collecting over 5,000 tonnes of waste, including 700 tonnes of plastic.
“Since 2019, we have been partnering with Project STOP Pasuruan to provide a circular waste system accessible to the community. We are very pleased with the multi-stakeholder collaboration operated continuously by the local government to promote sustainable waste systems that are economically profitable and provide new job opportunities for the local communities,” said H. M. Irsyad Yusuf, Regent of Pasuruan during the handoff ceremony.
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through Directorate General PSLB3, Vivien Rosa Ratnawati, said, “Indonesian government appreciates the role and contribution of Project STOP, Nestlé, Systemiq, local government and all of the parties with their active role in supporting government’s efforts to create circular economy and finding total solutions in waste management to increase the community welfare . I hope that initiatives like this will inspires other parties to do the same thing.”
A handover ceremony was hosted at the Pasuruan regency auditorium to celebrate Lekok and Nguling’s autonomy with key local, national, and international stakeholders joining in person. Attendees consisted of numerous government officials, local organisations, village heads, village business units, and Project STOP’s founding partners and funders.
“Project STOP has been very close to our hearts ever since we created it and then initiated it together with our partner Systemiq,” commented Thomas Gangl, Borealis CEO. “Being able to hand over the second city partnership programme to the local government fills us with joy. After Project STOP Muncar, now also Project STOP Pasuruan has "grown up” and reached economic autonomy. We celebrate this milestone together with all our project partners and look forward to continued success for this important programme.”
“Proper waste management requires lasting efforts and significant contributions from all stakeholders involved and is vital for the health and well-being of our local communities,” said Mike Webster, Programme Director of Project STOP at Systemiq. “We are extremely grateful for the partnership with the Indonesian government, the Pasuruan government, our project funders and partners, and community leaders. It is wonderful to be able to hand over an established waste management system so that they can continue efforts on the ground.”
Nestlé was the first food and beverage company to join Project STOP as a strategic partner and is a main funder of the city partnership in Pasuruan, together with Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings. "A clean environment is a fundamental human right. Project STOP shows that waste management systems can be built and financially maintained if all stakeholders participate. It was an honour to support Pasuruan. We are confident that this success can be replicated. A multi-stakeholder approach is very important in the waste management sector to ensure the sustainability of the system. This effort would not be possible without the tireless commitment from the Indonesian and Pasuruan government including the community," said Janarthanan Nallasura, President Director at Siegwerk, "we are driven by our commitment to support circularity through Project STOP and would like to thank you for the continuous support from all stakeholders to stop waste and go circular."
“Our vision is that no plastic waste ends up in landfills or as litter in the environment. We are proud to have supported Project STOP to achieve its independence – and keep valuable packaging and organic residues in the economy – and out of nature. Moreover, these collaborative efforts support Indonesia’s national target to achieve 70% of waste management,” said Prawitya Soemadijo, Director of Sustainability, Nestlé Indonesia.
END
This media release is also available in German.
* Photo caption for photo offered for donwload:
Project STOP co-founder and partners with Pasuruan officials. From left to right: Head of Environmental Agency, Heru Farianto; Programme Director-Systemiq, Mike Webster; Director of Sustainability, Nestlé Indonesia, Prawitya Soemadijo; Pasuruan Regent, Irsyad Yusuf; Manager Circular Economy Solutions, Anthony Berthold; Global Public Affairs Lead, Packaging & Sustainability at Nestlé, Jodie Roussell; Packaging Sustainability Manager Center at Nestle, Alison Bramfitt; and Head of Sales Flexible Packaging Business Unit, Siegwerk, Elia Agung Kurniawan.
Photo: © Project STOP
Link to High-res Pictures for download
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About Project STOP
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and Systemiq, Project STOP (STop Ocean Plastics) works hand-in-hand with city governments to create effective circular waste management systems in high-need areas of Southeast Asia. The initiative supports cities with technical expertise to achieve zero-leakage of waste, increase recycling, build economically sustainable programs, creating new jobs and reducing the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, tourism, and fisheries. While the first city partnership was established in 2018 in Muncar. In February 2022, Project STOP Muncar was handed over to the local government and community. Project STOP also operates two additional city partnerships, in Pasuruan Regency, also on the island of Java, and Jembrana Regency, on the north coast of Bali.
Project STOP’s corporate partners include Nestlé, Borouge, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Siegwerk, Shwarz, and HP, with support from Trusts & Foundations, P4G and Accenture, including Academia, Pisces. Project STOP’s success is in large part thanks to these collaborations as well as its close partnership with the Norwegian government, local and national government offices in Indonesia, including the National Ministry for Environment and Forestry (KLHK) which it has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs (CMMAI) and the Regency governments in the regions it works. STOP now has a team of 35 committed environmental leaders.
For more information on Project STOP:
Website: www.stopoceanplastics.com | www.stopoceanplastics.com/pasuruan
About Borealis
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals, fertilizers and the mechanical recycling of plastics. We leverage our polymers expertise and decades of experience to offer value adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries. In re-inventing for more sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people and excellence as we accelerate the transformation to a circular economy and expand our geographical footprint.
With head offices in Vienna, Austria, we employ 6,900 employees and operate in over 120 countries. In 2021, we generated total sales of EUR 12.3 billion and a net profit of EUR 1,396 million. OMV, the Austria-based international oil and gas company, owns 75% of our shares, while the remaining 25% is owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We supply services and products to customers around the globe through Borealis and two important joint ventures: Borouge (with ADNOC, headquartered in the UAE); and Baystar™ (with TotalEnergies, based in the US).
www.borealisgroup.com | www.borealiseverminds.com
About Systemiq
Systemiq was founded in 2016 to drive the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by transforming markets and business models in four key systems: land use, circular materials, clean energy, and sustainable finance. A certified B-Corp, Systemiq is a global advisory and investment firm that partners with industry, government and civil society, financing, and invests in high-impact ventures with the potential to unlock economic opportunities that benefit business, society, and the environment, and deliver systems change.
To learn more, visit www.systemiq.earth.
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