Surabaya’s Kali Tebu River Polluted by Diapers

Why this is here: Volunteers recovered 218 disposable diapers during a three-day cleanup of the Kali Tebu river in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Ecoton and the Tretan Kali Tebu community cleaned trash from the Kali Tebu river in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia on Wednesday. The volunteer team excavated waste for three days, starting on Monday, and discovered a large amount of disposable diapers. Of the 2.4 tons of waste collected, roughly 45 percent consisted of disposable diapers—about 218 individual units.

The team also conducted a brand audit, finding that Sweety diapers, made by PT Softex Indonesia, accounted for 31 percent of the diaper waste. MamyPoko diapers from PT Unicharm comprised 24 percent, and Momo diapers from Momohouse made up eight percent. This cleanup followed the installation of a trash barrier on the river as part of the MOZAIK program.

MOZAIK, a collaboration between Ecoton and the Surabaya city government, aims to reduce plastic leakage into rivers. Ecoton’s director, Daru Setyorini, stresses the need for producer responsibility for post-consumer waste, as the Kali Tebu river drains into the Madura Strait. The team will continue routine waste sorting and brand audits, but long-term solutions require wider participation.