Illicit waste burning on the rise

Up in smoke: The report on household waste management around the world was based on a 2023 Gallup survey. — The Jakarta Post/ANN

THE scarcity of public waste disposal and management facilities in the country has apparently prompted many people to burn their household waste out in the open, creating a whole slew of health problems, according to a global safety charity, which has urged the government to provide viable alternatives to save Indonesian lives as well as the environment.

A report on household waste management in the latest edition of the World Risk Poll, produced by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and published on Sept 17, highlights the urgent challenge of uncontrolled waste disposal in Indonesia, where 48% of households burn their waste, even though the practice is prohibited.