The challenges in sustaining waste banks in Serang City: How far the circular economy can go?

Abstract

The existence of a waste bank is designed to reduce the municipal waste problem. However, not all regions can implement the waste banks program to deal with municipal solid waste. In 2019, Serang City managed only 51% of municipal waste out of 155,490 tons of waste/per year, including the contribution from the waste banks. This study aimed to determine the challenges of implementing waste banks and the impact of the circular economy in Serang. This study used a mixed approach which describes the results qualitatively-quantitatively. The study found: the positive response of the community to the existence of waste banks, the environmental motive behind the establishment of waste banks, waste banks in Serang dealing with infrastructures, human resources, and management, and the basic business model. Waste banks economically had not made a significant contribution to the members. The reduction ability was only 0.03% of total municipal solid waste. Another problem encountered was that cooperation with off-takers was not done on a contractual basis, which led to uncontrolled prices.