By: Moya Setiawan)*
A scientific approach is the backbone of safe, measurable, and accountable waste management, and the government has established it as a standard across all levels. From waste source mapping to final processing, each stage is based on laboratory data, risk assessments, and standard operating procedures that are regularly evaluated. This ensures that interventions are not merely reactive but precise, tailored to the characteristics of the waste, geographic conditions, and local infrastructure capacity. As a result, public protection no longer relies on guesswork but on clear scientific evidence.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) emphasized that the government continues to manage waste to protect the public, particularly hazardous and toxic waste (B3) near food sources. The government will continue to closely monitor, protect workers and affected communities, and ensure the national shrimp industry remains safe, healthy, and competitive in the global market following the widespread issue of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in Indonesian frozen shrimp exports to the United States.
Upstream, the government is strengthening science-based licensing and oversight systems, ensuring that businesses have measurable and auditable waste management plans. Instruments such as environmental impact assessments, water and air quality monitoring, and hazardous and toxic materials audits are strictly enforced. Field inspections are supported by accredited laboratory testing to eliminate data manipulation opportunities. This approach makes it easier to detect violations early, thus reducing the risk of public exposure before they escalate.
Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Management Agency (BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, stated that to anticipate waste that could contaminate national food sources, especially export commodities, the government is strengthening risk-based supervision at the upstream-downstream level, requiring pre-shipment laboratory testing, and implementing multi-layered law enforcement against polluters to maintain product quality and safety. Preventive efforts are being strengthened through periodic surprise inspections, tracing waste sources in industrial areas, and requiring rapid remediation by companies found to be violating regulations.
In terms of waste management, the government’s performance is evident in the development of technologies tailored to the waste typology in each region. Wastewater treatment plants are equipped with biological, chemical, and physical units tuned to quality standards; while for hazardous and toxic waste, solidification, stabilization, and controlled incineration techniques are used. The government is promoting modernization with online sensors that monitor pH, COD, TSS, and other toxic parameters in real time. This data is connected to an environmental command center, so anomalies are immediately addressed.
Epidemiologist and health expert Dicky Budiman explained that hazardous waste prevention can be strengthened through a circular economy. The government needs to continue expanding the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) program with incentives for industries that design easily recycled products and implement producer responsibility (EPR). Waste banks, TPS3R (Recycling Centers), and regional recycling centers are integrated into the secondary raw material supply chain, reducing waste in landfills and increasing economic value. This scientific approach is evident in recycled material quality standards, life cycle analysis (LCA), and transparent carbon footprint verification.
The government’s maximum performance is also evident in its public health risk management. Environmental epidemiological surveillance is carried out simultaneously with monitoring the quality of drinking water, food, and soil around waste sources. When indicators exceed thresholds, early notification protocols are implemented: residents receive clear information, health services are alerted, and remediation measures are initiated without waiting for a public outcry. Cross-ministerial collaboration ensures that lab test results are quickly translated into protective policies on the ground.
Law enforcement goes hand in hand with development. The government not only sanctions violators but also provides compliance clinics for MSMEs and industries seeking to improve. Technical training modules, operational guides, and assistance in developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) are provided to ensure that waste management standards are not merely mandatory but also ingrained in the work culture. Furthermore, environmental performance awards encourage healthy competition among businesses; the best serve as role models, while those lagging behind are coached to meet standards.
Finally, transparency strengthens public trust. The government is expanding its environmental quality data dashboard, evidence-based complaint channels, and citizen consultation forums. With open data, the public can monitor trends, academics can test them, and the media can report on them. This is the true face of a scientific approach: decisions are based on data, implemented with discipline, monitored openly, and evaluated for continuous improvement. With this integrated approach, protecting the public from waste risks is on the strongest footing.
)* The author is a social issues observer