space Basel Action News, Vol 1, #1

By Julia Kalmirah -- WALHI - The Indonesian Forum for Environment

In 1992, Tanjung Priok Harbor in Jakarta was inundated with 116 shipping containers of imported wastes. Six years after, these shipping containers still lie in the harbor, its planned disposal -- if there is one -- is, until now, still unclear. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the composition of this waste is 60% recyclable plastic, 30% unrecyclable plastic, and 10% hazardous wastes.

By December 1993, the hazardous waste sent by European Community countries reached 633,638 tonnes of hazardous waste and 518,138 non-hazardous waste yearly. In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency recorded 500 shipping containers of imported waste entering Indonesia.

In mid August 1997, the members of the Jabotabek Association of Trash Scavengers were surprised to find imported wastes at a garbage dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi where they usually scavenge local trash for livelihood. Several scavengers were employed by an unidentified person to sort imported wastes which had been brought from Tanjung Priok Harbor. Some of the hazardous waste have been identified as originating from Netherlands and Germany, but it has not been ascertained if this hazardous waste is part of the 116 shipping containers of imported waste which have been stacked up at Tanjung Priok Harbor in 1993 or part of a new shipment.

The presence of imported hazardous wastes have affected the following:

1. Environment and Health. The importation of hazardous waste is done under the guise of recycling. However, the bulk of this so-called "imports" are not and cannot be recycled. What is loosely called "recycling of hazardous wastes" is the use of these materials for food packaging and as a paint ingredient. The use of such recycled material in food packaging is extremely dangerous as it contains chlorinated solvents from paint products in the imported trash.
2. Additional economic burden for the Indonesian government. Methods of waste disposal in Indonesia are insufficient to handle the current volume of disposal and are not capable of safely disposing of unrecyclable and hazardous waste.
3. Economic and social impacts. The livelihood of thousands of trash scavengers who help preserve the environment by facilitating the recycling of domestic waste is threatened by the importation of waste. The income of trash scavengers has declined by 75% as the result of imported waste, which is much cheaper than domestic waste. Before trash was imported they earned on average between Rp. 7,500 to 10,000 (US$4.00 last September) per day. Since the importation of trash, their earnings has declined to Rp. 3,000 - 2,100 (US$0.25 as of this writing) per day. At this rate, a scavenger cannot even buy a kilo of rice, the staple food, per day.

Scavenging is the last resort of already marginalized people who have lost jobs as pedicab drivers, foodstall sellers, or cleaners. The stark decrease in earnings plus the devaluation of the rupiah has made even this last-resort employment pointless. Thus, the resulting unemployment will add to the current social unrest in Indonesia.

Based on the aforementioned facts, WALHI and the Basel Action Network condemn:

1. The continuing export of hazardous wastes to Indonesia by the governments of Holland, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Belgium, the United States, and Taiwa. This is a violation of Indonesian and international law. Under ministerial decree Number 3 49/Kp/XI/92 of the Minister of Trade and governmental regulation number 19/1994, and the new Act of Republic of Indonesia No. 23 of 1997 concerning The Management of the Living Environment, Article 21: "Every person is prohibited from importing hazardous wastes." Indonesia prohibits the importation of plastic and hazardous waste. Indonesia is also a signatory of the Basel Convention which prohibits the export of hazardous waste to developing countries.
2. Prohibition of the export and import of hazardous waste has already been agreed to as stated in Article 3 (a) of the Bamako Convention, the Lome IV Convention, and Decisions I/22, II/12, III/1 of the Basel Convention. Despite this, the above-mentioned governments continue to export hazardous waste and flout the convention.
3. Hundreds of years ago, Netherlands plundered the riches of Indonesia. The exporting of the hazardous waste to Indonesia shows that until now Netherlands has not stopped exploiting Indonesia to provide for its own comfort. The Dutch government is acting like Indonesia is still its colony.
4. The governments and citizens of advanced countries are always touted as having a high level of environmental awareness. The unfortunate reality is that this environmental awareness is confined to their own borders and to matters which affect their own citizens. When it comes to developing countries this environmental awareness is conveniently left at home. The wealth and prosperity of advanced countries is built on the poverty and suffering of the people in developing countries.

Concerning the approximately 138 shipping containers of imported wastes still stacked up at several Indonesian harbors, we demand that the Indonesian government:

1. Re-export hazardous wastes to the countries of origin at there own cost.
2. Prosecute the responsible individuals and institutions from countries that export hazardous wastes to developing countries, including Indonesia.
3. Stop the export of foreign hazardous wastes to developing countries, including Indonesia.