In Indonesia, waste is classified into two types, with their management responsibility falling under different groups of stakeholders according to Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management:
Household and Household-Like Waste
As the name suggests, household waste is waste disposed from daily household activities, whereas household-like waste includes waste generated from commercial areas, industrial activities, and special zones, as well as social, public, and other kinds of facilities. The management of this type of waste covers activities such as reduction, reuse, and recycling. In this regard, the central government, local governments, the private sector, and the public each have their own role in managing household and household-like waste.
Specific Waste
Specific waste encompasses hazardous and toxic waste, disaster waste, construction waste, and other kinds of waste without existing treatment technology or those generated without any periodic patterns. The government holds the responsibility for managing specific waste.
In discussing the government’s capacity in managing household and household-like waste, there is a clear task distribution between the central and local governments. While day-to-day and practical tasks of waste collection, treatment, and disposal are overseen by local governments at the city or regency level, the central government is responsible for policymaking, developing national standards, and allocating budgets for infrastructure construction. These tasks are further distributed between five main ministries outlined in the table below.
Table 1. Main ministries overseeing waste management in Indonesia and their respective roles and responsibilities
Ministry | Responsibilities |
Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency |
|
Ministry of Environment (and Forestry) |
|
Ministry of Public Works |
|
Ministry of Home Affairs |
|
Ministry of Health |
|
Source: Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency, 2024.
Particular to marine debris management, the national coordinating mechanism is regulated under the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 83 Year 2018 on Marine Debris Management, launched in September 2018. The team is chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and the Minister of Environment and Forestry, who serves as the daily chairman. The coordination team also includes 14 ministers, cabinet secretaries, and the head of the Maritime Security Agency as members (Table 1).
The coordination team is to (1) coordinate the activities of the ministries, non-ministerial institutions, regional governments, communities, and/or private sector on marine debris management; (2) make policies to surmount obstacles and solve problems regarding marine debris management; and (3) coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of action plan implementation.
Table 2. Members of the National Coordination Team on Marine Debris Management
Role | Ministry |
Chairman | Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs |
Daily Chairman | Minister of Environment and Forestry |
Member |
|
Secretary | Directorate General of Solid Waste, Waste and Hazardous and Toxic Substances Management, Ministry of Environment and Forestry |
Daily Secretary | Deputy Assistant of Maritime Science and Technology Utilization, Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs |
Note: The nomenclature of the ministries in the above table class="table table-striped" may not be the most up to date as it follows the nomenclature mentioned in the Presidential Decree Number 83 Year 2018.
Source: Government of Indonesia (2018).
The National Action Plan for Marine Debris Management for 2018–2025 is attached in the presidential regulation and specifies each ministry’s role. For example, the Ministry of Industry is in charge of encouraging the growth of the recycling industry and the industry to produce degradable plastics. The Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs oversees, for instance, constructing waste-handling facilities at fishing ports and organising movements to clean up beaches and seas. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing is in charge of waste collection infrastructure on river and waste management facilities, and stipulation of plastic waste usage as additive in road construction.
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
Government of Indonesia (2008), Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC084136/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 83 Year 2018 on Marine Debris Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC210537/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
In Indonesia, waste is classified into two types, with their management responsibility falling under different groups of stakeholders according to Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management:
Household and Household-Like Waste
As the name suggests, household waste is waste disposed from daily household activities, whereas household-like waste includes waste generated from commercial areas, industrial activities, and special zones, as well as social, public, and other kinds of facilities. The management of this type of waste covers activities such as reduction, reuse, and recycling. In this regard, the central government, local governments, the private sector, and the public each have their own role in managing household and household-like waste.
Specific Waste
Specific waste encompasses hazardous and toxic waste, disaster waste, construction waste, and other kinds of waste without existing treatment technology or those generated without any periodic patterns. The government holds the responsibility for managing specific waste.
In discussing the government’s capacity in managing household and household-like waste, there is a clear task distribution between the central and local governments. While day-to-day and practical tasks of waste collection, treatment, and disposal are overseen by local governments at the city or regency level, the central government is responsible for policymaking, developing national standards, and allocating budgets for infrastructure construction. These tasks are further distributed between five main ministries outlined in the table below.
Table 1. Main ministries overseeing waste management in Indonesia and their respective roles and responsibilities
Ministry | Responsibilities |
Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency |
|
Ministry of Environment (and Forestry) |
|
Ministry of Public Works |
|
Ministry of Home Affairs |
|
Ministry of Health |
|
Source: Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency, 2024.
Particular to marine debris management, the national coordinating mechanism is regulated under the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 83 Year 2018 on Marine Debris Management, launched in September 2018. The team is chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and the Minister of Environment and Forestry, who serves as the daily chairman. The coordination team also includes 14 ministers, cabinet secretaries, and the head of the Maritime Security Agency as members (Table 1).
The coordination team is to (1) coordinate the activities of the ministries, non-ministerial institutions, regional governments, communities, and/or private sector on marine debris management; (2) make policies to surmount obstacles and solve problems regarding marine debris management; and (3) coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of action plan implementation.
Table 2. Members of the National Coordination Team on Marine Debris Management
Role | Ministry |
Chairman | Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs |
Daily Chairman | Minister of Environment and Forestry |
Member |
|
Secretary | Directorate General of Solid Waste, Waste and Hazardous and Toxic Substances Management, Ministry of Environment and Forestry |
Daily Secretary | Deputy Assistant of Maritime Science and Technology Utilization, Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs |
Note: The nomenclature of the ministries in the above table class="table table-striped" may not be the most up to date as it follows the nomenclature mentioned in the Presidential Decree Number 83 Year 2018.
Source: Government of Indonesia (2018).
The National Action Plan for Marine Debris Management for 2018–2025 is attached in the presidential regulation and specifies each ministry’s role. For example, the Ministry of Industry is in charge of encouraging the growth of the recycling industry and the industry to produce degradable plastics. The Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs oversees, for instance, constructing waste-handling facilities at fishing ports and organising movements to clean up beaches and seas. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing is in charge of waste collection infrastructure on river and waste management facilities, and stipulation of plastic waste usage as additive in road construction.
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
Government of Indonesia (2008), Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC084136/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
Government of Indonesia (2018), Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 83 Year 2018 on Marine Debris Management. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC210537/ (accessed 6 January 2025).
