Shifting Toward Resource Management in Remote Area: A Case Study of Lake Toba, Indonesia

Abstract

The Indonesian government has been making an effort to boost the local economic growth through the tourism industry in the Lake Toba region, North Sumatra, because the region has highly valuable natural and cultural assets which can attract both domestic and foreign tourists. However, proper waste management has not been established and uncontrolled waste pollutes the areas, which diminish the value of the regions as tourist destinations. With the urgency for tackling such challenges, the waste management pilot project was implemented to establish the Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) adopting the function of waste bank, as part of the practical implementation of the waste management strategy that newly developed by the local regencies. This case study aims at documenting the experience and the potential of the waste bank system in the region to shift towards resource management. Key lessons were that the waste bank system should be established as part of the overall waste management system. It helped in changing the waste management practices from linear to circular systems. In addition, this case study showcases that waste banks have made remarkable positive impacts at local or neighbourhood levels, especially, in terms of improving local residents’ waste management practices and awareness, environmental protection and additional income generation by selling the separated waste materials. However, the success of the waste bank system in remote and rural areas largely depended on the accessibility to the primary and secondary recycling markets.