Waste Management Bill - Anticipating the Future rather than Cleaning up the Past

A Bill on Waste Management has been released for discussion and is not expected to be passed until the New Year. Nevertheless, the bill is a reflection of the Government's awareness that unregulated waste will pose a significant challenge and threat in the future to the potential quality of life that is to be enjoyed by Indonesians. The bill is drafted in such a way that waste management is both a human and an environmental issue that needs comprehensive regulation to ensure that waste is managed from the beginning to the end of the waste production cycle. Interestingly, the bill also envisages the ability to change human behavior as it relates to waste management particularly in changing citizen's attitudes to waste disposal. This is sure to be a real challenge considering the current state of waste pollution in Indonesia generally.