GIZ Indonesia and Unilever Indonesia Support Waste Management Businesses through the Scaling Up Local Enterprise on Waste Management in Indonesia (SULE-WM) Project

PRESS RELEASE

2/13/20253 min read

Jakarta, February 13, 2025 – To commemorate National Waste Awareness Day (HPSN) 2025, GIZ Indonesia and Unilever Indonesia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, officially launched the Scaling Up Local Enterprise on Waste Management in Indonesia (SULE-WM) project, together with implementation partners Ecoxyztem and Greeneration Foundation.

Working with five local Waste Management Enterprises (WMEs) across five regions in Indonesia—Medan, Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) and Central Java, Bali, Surabaya, and Jakarta—the SULE-WM project aims to help local waste management businesses scale up and create more green job opportunities through innovation, capacity building, and collaboration with various stakeholders. In addition to supporting the growth of waste management businesses, the project will provide education to more than 20,000 people, helping them become future talent and active members of the supporting ecosystem needed to build a comprehensive local waste management system.

At the launch event, the project collaborators and implementation partners presented their vision and mission to create a sustainable business ecosystem for WMEs. Running for approximately 21 months, the SULE-WM project will provide training, mentoring, and implementation funding totaling IDR 1 billion to WMEs that focus on innovative recycling and waste management solutions.

Wistinoviani Adnin, Acting Coordinator of the Directorate of Waste Reduction and Circular Economy Development at the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Management Agency (BPLH), highlighted that the government has introduced various waste management policies that require active support and participation from upstream to downstream through cooperation and collaboration to create greater impact. The initiative by GIZ Indonesia and Unilever Indonesia was also recognized for its contribution to circular economy-based waste management. Through the SULE-WM project, waste management is positioned as a multisectoral effort, as it is a circular process that contributes to building a sustainable social and economic system.

With a target of collecting and managing 3,000 tons of plastic waste, the project aims to generate emissions savings of 5,070 tons of CO₂ equivalent. The project will also involve 200 informal workers, who will receive training on workplace safety, financial literacy, and access to healthcare services.

Roy Andy Panjaitan, Private Sector Development Advisor & Project Coordinator for Public-Private Partnership (develoPPP), GIZ Indonesia, ASEAN & Timor-Leste, emphasized that one of the biggest challenges in waste management is changing the mindset of communities and businesses so that waste is seen as a resource. Through the SULE-WM project, GIZ Indonesia supports responsible waste management in Indonesia by developing sustainable business models for WMEs and creating innovative solutions that can be applied on a wider scale.

The SULE-WM project will be implemented through several program phases, beginning with a needs assessment of five local waste management companies: Perkumpulan Arta Jaya (Medan), Persada Langgeng Makmur (Yogyakarta and Central Java), Bali Recycle Center (Bali), Lohjinawi Logistic (Surabaya), and Azzahra Multi Solusindo (South Jakarta). The program will then continue with mentoring and pitching sessions to select the three best-performing companies to move forward to the implementation phase, followed by an impact exhibition and business matchmaking event at the end of the program.

Maya Tamimi, Head of Environment & Sustainability Division at Unilever Indonesia, explained that Unilever focuses on four key sustainability issues: climate, nature, plastics, and livelihoods. Under its plastics pillar, Unilever is strongly committed to reducing the use of virgin plastic, accelerating the use of recycled plastic, improving the recyclability of its packaging, and collecting and processing more plastic packaging than it uses to sell its products.

Maya also emphasized the importance of collaboration among different stakeholders, including WMEs, in addressing waste and plastic management. The SULE-WM project is part of the effort to build a more inclusive waste management ecosystem where local innovations can grow and create real impact for communities. Through close collaboration, the project aims to create positive change on a wider scale and contribute to a greener and more sustainable environment.

With support from various stakeholders, the project is expected to strengthen the capacity of WMEs to develop waste management solutions that create broader benefits for communities and the environment. The project will also create opportunities for WMEs to collaborate with businesses and government institutions in building a more efficient and effective waste management value chain. With the right technology and business models, WMEs can play an important role as agents of change in creating cleaner environments while generating more green job opportunities.

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