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Local initiative set up waste bank to save the environment

Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Started out from concerns over piled up waste in the beach of her neighborhood, Rini Oktaviani turned things around when she introduced waste bank to people of coastal area of South Panjang, Bandarlampung around four months ago.

Rini, who is a housewife and a green activist, said that she had started out from educating local kids instead of making people to clean the beach. “If I directly asked for people to clean up the coastal area, no one would responded,” she said.

Instead, she reached out to local kids and talked to them about the environment, mostly about waste, its danger and how to manage them. “Bottom line, I got them to be aware on the environment,” she said.

As a result, she asked her students to collect waste from their houses once a week during the meeting. “We would weigh their wastes and tagged prices in accordance to their amount of trash they had,” she said. “One day, I gave them saving books and they were surprised because they didn’t feel saving any money.”

She took the opportunity to explain the kids that all wastes have been collected every week have economical values. So, starting from that day, Rini said that students were actively collecting wastes from their houses even from schools. It didn’t take long for adults to follow suit who were also eager to collect waste from their houses and deposited them to the bank.

The bank, dubbed as Environment Care Troop Waste Bank, have been running for four months and have managed to attract at least 50 people. “Each clients only need to bring their wastes to us. Each one ounce would be regarded Rp 200. Many of our customers have reached Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000,” said Rahayu, one of the teller of the bank.

Those wastes turned into handy-crafts, including fruit baskets, bags, beach hats even pretty dresses. Meanwhile, organic wastes are turned into organic fertilizers which used for domestic plants.

Rini said the bank received responds from government and entrepreneur, for instance she got thrasher trash from CSR of local company along with other computers from government. “We receive any supports from other people. But, our problem is that we are having difficulties in marketing these products,” she said adding that they have made these products as interesting as possible, either from packaging and price.

“I know that this is still zero percent to reduce waste. Maybe between five even 15 years, there will be no maximum results but this is the least what I can do for the environment,” she added.

The waste bank pilot project will also be established in other sub-districts, such as Waylunik, Bumiwaras and Kotakarang, which are located in coastal areas. Eni Muslihah

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