Turning the Tide: ADB Boosts Plastic Recycling in Indonesia

Transcript

SUPERS/

Turning the Tide: ADB boosts plastic recycling in Indonesia

Central Java, Indonesia

Each year, 8 to 12 million tons of plastic waste pollute the oceans, threatening marine ecosystems and public health. 

Responding to this issue, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $44.2 million blue loan with PT ALBA Tridi Plastics Recycling Indonesia to establish a plastic recycling facility in the country.

Interview #1 - Dian Kurniawati, Director of Alba Tridi Plastics Recycling Indonesia

“The recycling facility at Alba Tridi Plastics Recycling Indonesia in Kendal, processes plastic bottle waste and transforms it into new raw materials in the form of recycled PET flakes and pellets with food-grade standards to replace the dependence on new plastic pellets or virgin material. This approach also serves as a great example for enhancing the circular economy which is key to achieving the plastic waste management target of 70% in Indonesia by 2025 and helping contribute to the goal of reaching Net Zero Emissions in Indonesia by 2060. ADB’s contribution to this project is significant as we received a Certified Blue Loan to fund this project, enabling us to create and establish an internationally standard facility to produce high-quality recycled products.”

Interview #2 - Lyu Jiaqing, Chief Operating Officer of Plastic Recycling Vertical Asia ALBA Group Asia

“We use the locally generated wasted PET bottles as our feedstock and we debale them from our processing line. And after that, these bottles will go through several sorting machines which use infrared technology to separate them into different streams of quality or material type or colour and quality. And after that, these bottles will go through the pre-washing before they’ll be manually sorted again and then grinded into small pieces which we call ‘flakes’ and then be rewashed again under certain conditions to eliminate totally of contaminants. And after that there’s an extrusion process which make these into pellets, before they go into a process called SSP–Solid State Polymerization, to eliminate the contaminants between the molecules so that these grades can become totally food grade.”

SUPERS

ADB and the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) each provided $22.1 million in funding for the project. Blue loans are financing instruments that aim to safeguard access to clean water, protect underwater environments, and invest in a sustainable water economy.

Interview #3 - Jumhartini, Supervisor of Waste Collector

“The waste sorting for PT Alba involves clear bottles and BM (Light Blue). The process includes separating the labels, removing the caps, and discarding any remaining liquid. After sorting, the bottles are immediately compressed for easier transportation and to meet the factory's weight requirements.”

SUPERS

Indonesia is a leading contributor to marine plastic pollution. The government is targeting a 70% reduction in plastic waste leakage by 2025 and achieving near-zero plastic pollution by 2060.

Interview #4 - Anang Widiasmoro, Head of Kendal Investment Board One Stop Service

“Waste management is a challenge for every local government. In the future, we will facilitate them to ensure a steady supply of materials. We greatly appreciate and are honored that ADB
is focused on environmentally-based industries. We hope that industries focused on environmental management will further empower communities.”

SUPERS

By converting plastic waste into valuable resources, this initiative directly addresses plastic pollution while promoting local economic development. Together, we are not just combating plastic waste; we are paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable world for future generations.

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