The prospects and challenges of plastic bottle waste recycling in Indonesia

Abstract

Nowadays plastic bottle recycling is one of promising businesses in Indonesia. The plastic bottle recycling business involves supply chains of recycled material, which include participants such as consumers, waste banks, scavengers, small and large scale waste collectors, as well as recycling plants. Recycling plants can produce new products such as dacron material, strapping band and geotextile. Currently, only plastic bottle wastes made from HDPE and PET are recycled (included in circular economy). Meanwhile plastic labels, mostly made from PVC film, are burned or dumped, since they are not economically feasible to be recycled. One initiative to reduce plastic label wastes is conducted at a recycling plant of PT LJF. This recycling plant produce polyester synthetic fiber (PSF). The factory use plastic wastes that can not be recycled as a fuel mixture for its incinerator and oil heater, so that it can reduce the use of coal. Currently the factory use 499.82 kg of coal and 351 kg of plastic waste on average per day. The incineration process conducted in LJF recycling plant should be developed further to reach optimal condition, so that the factory can get more heat energy from utilizing plastic waste as well as reducing coal usage