BRIN researcher, Sunarti, conducted a study of Indonesia’s waste management system, emphasizing the importance of transitioning from waste management to a circular economy to achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2060. In 246 regencies and cities across Indonesia, approximately 39% of waste comes from food scraps and 19% from plastic, with the majority originating from households. Sunarti highlighted the government’s role in providing infrastructure, funding, and policies, as well as the role of the community in reducing, sorting, and recycling waste in accordance with Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No.75 of 2019, which follows the 3R(reduce, reuse, recycle).
Widya Nandini from the University of Bolton explained that implementing a circular economy is a complex process that requires proper infrastructure and policies. High-income countries tend to generate more waste but have more efficient waste management systems. In the United Kingdom, the circular economy approach is applied at national, regional, and local levels, with strategies adapted to the characteristics of each area. Additionally, a Circular Economy Task Force has been established to assist the government in designing strategies to promote resource efficiency, green economic growth, and accelerate the transition to net zero emissions.