Remind Collaborated with Australia and Korea to Publish Study on Indonesia’s E-Waste Challenges and Solutions
Challenges and Solutions in a Collaborative Study
Remind (Recycling Materials Indonesia), represented by its founder Dzikri Soefihara, a Master’s graduate from TU Delft, collaborated with researchers from Swinburne University of Technology (Australia) and the University of Science and Technology (Korea) to publish a significant journal article analyzing the state of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Indonesia. The study highlighted the urgent need for sustainable and integrated recycling systems that could recover valuable materials while minimizing environmental harm.
E-waste has become a major economic and environmental concern worldwide. While developed countries had established advanced recycling systems, Indonesia still faced significant challenges due to limited infrastructure, low public awareness, and regulatory gaps. The study estimated Indonesia’s e-waste generation and distribution while also examining potential economic recovery opportunities, legal frameworks, and existing recycling practices.
Key Challenges in Indonesia’s E-Waste Management
The study identified several barriers that hindered formal e-waste recycling in Indonesia, including:
- The dominance of the informal sector in e-waste collection and processing
- Lack of regulations and infrastructure to support formal recycling
- Low public awareness and unreliable data on e-waste generation
- Limited research on advanced recycling technologies
- The country’s diverse socio-economic and geographic conditions, which made uniform solutions difficult to implement
Solutions for a Sustainable E-Waste Recycling System
To address these challenges, the study proposed strategies for establishing a sustainable e-waste recycling system in Indonesia. These included improving collection systems, developing efficient processing routes, and integrating key actors in e-waste management, from collection and pretreatment to metal extraction.
By publishing this research, ReMIND, Swinburne University of Technology, and the University of Science and Technology aimed to drive policy discussions, raise awareness, and encourage investment in sustainable e-waste solutions for Indonesia’s future.
