Indonesian Student Fights Waste Crisis

Why this is here: Wisstore, Wiskomunalian’s resale shop, has raised nearly 20 million Indonesian rupiah—almost US$1,200—to fund future environmental work.

Syazwan Luftan Riady, a student in East Java, Indonesia, co-founded Wiskomunalian, a youth organization addressing waste management. Luftan’s early awareness of pollution came from visiting his grandmother’s home near a river. He and his colleagues focus on practical environmental changes, starting with education and awareness among peers.

Wiskomunalian volunteers collect waste from 17 areas of Jember district, noting that even with separate bins, materials often get mixed at the Pakusari landfill—a site exceeding capacity and receiving roughly 200 metric tons of garbage daily. Indonesia generates about 3.2 million metric tons of plastic waste annually, ranking second globally after China.

Recent policy shifts include a “war on waste” declared by President Prabowo Subianto, with plans for waste-to-energy projects and a 2029 overhaul of garbage disposal. However, experts caution that these schemes face financing and logistical hurdles, and immediate interventions can have unintended consequences, like increased illegal dumping. Luftan continues to work with younger students, organizing cleanups and educational programs, while also running Wisstore, a resale shop funding environmental initiatives.