Tarakan – the Indonesian Eco-Savers are Starting in Earnest

09/02/2012

Indonesia

The moment has come at last: Tarakan, Indonesia, launched its ambitious environmental programme (TALING) with a series of kick-off events in a number of schools throughout the city, having spent the last few months setting up the framework for the project. Everybody involved is rearing to go and eager to make it a success!

Tarakan’s city government replicates the Marikina eco-savers project from the Philippines, combining recycling efforts from local schools – the ‘Eco Day Program’ - with changes in waste collection to encourage recycling.

During the launch events in three elementary and two junior high schools, children received their first recycle bags together with detailed information on how the scheme would operate. Simple really: children bring in recyclable rubbish from home, hand it in at school and receive eco-tokens, which they can redeem for useful utensils and school materials. The project will also concentrate on changing the mindset of people towards viewing recycling as part of income generation, and onestablishing a sustainable mechanism for a fruitful partnership between government and people in community-based waste management.

The kick-off events attracted much media attention, with a TV documentary being planned, following the activities of one of the participating schools. Initially, the government had intended to involve all schools in Tarakan in the project, but it was felt wise to start of with a few schools running pilot projects, so that a later expansion of the scheme could take into account the lessons learnt during the pilot phase.

More information about Tarakan on www.DELGOSEA.eu: