Project STOP Expands Impact on Plastic Waste in 2024, Providing Waste Management Access to Over Half a Million People in Indonesia

• Project STOP advances establishment of a Regency-wide circular waste management system in Indonesia’s Banyuwangi Regency, with the groundbreaking for second material recovery facility (MRF) planned for the second half of 2025.
• By the end of 2024, the initiative has provided access to waste collection services to 517,000 people, created around 280 full-time jobs in the waste sector, and collected more than 79,000 metric tons of waste (including more than 12,000 metric tons of plastic).
  Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau Digital App, developed by Accenture Song, improves waste collection efficiency.
• Scale-up partner Clean Rivers will play a key role in expanding access to circular waste management services to nearly 2 million people across all Project STOP locations.

Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia – April 10, 2025 – Project STOP, co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq, continues to drive transformational change in waste management in Indonesia. From its inception in 2017 to the end of December 2024, Project STOP has provided access to waste collection services to 517,000 people, collected 79,000 metric tons of waste, including 12,000 metric tons of plastic, and created around 280 full-time jobs in the waste sector.

By collaborating with public and private sector partners, Project STOP aims to establish effective circular waste management systems at scale in Southeast Asia. This includes achieving zero waste leakage, increasing recycling, creating jobs, and reducing the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, climate change, tourism, and fisheries. 

Through Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau, the program aims to establish a Regency-wide circular waste management system in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java — a pivotal milestone in Project STOP's strategy to enable the scale-up of circular waste management systems across the country.

To support this effort, Accenture Song collaborated with Project STOP to create the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau Digital App, which enhances waste collection efficiency by digitizing processes and optimizing waste system roll-outs.

At this key stage, Clean Rivers, a global non-profit dedicated to tackling plastic pollution in river systems, joined Project STOP as a Scale-up Partner and funder and will play a crucial role in the Project STOP Banyuwangi expansion.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved so far with Project STOP together with our valued partners,” says Markus Horcher, Vice President Sustainability & Public Affairs at Borealis. “With Borealis fully funding the planned second material recovery facility (MRF) in this crucial phase of the project, we are continuing our commitment to Project STOP, which ultimately aims to positively impact the lives of nearly two million people while creating up to 1,000 full-time jobs.”

The success of Project STOP is owed to the valuable partnerships that enable the initiative to scale its efforts and create lasting environmental and social impact through close collaboration with public and private sector partners. The excellent support and long-standing strategic partnership with the national Indonesian government and the Banyuwangi Regency Government is the foundation for all Project STOP’s achievements. 

Ben Dixon, Partner at Systemiq and Project STOP co-founder says: “Project STOP’s continued impact shows that with the right partnerships and system-level thinking, circular waste management in Indonesia and beyond can become a reality. By co-developing solutions with governments and communities, we are not only preventing plastic pollution but also creating lasting economic, environmental and societal benefits. As we continue to scale, our focus remains on building resilient, self-sustaining waste systems that drive real change.”

For more information about Project STOP, please visit the Project STOP website.

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This media release is also available in German language.