Jakarta – Plastic and paper trash believed to have originated from abroad has been found near the Burangkeng landfill in Bekasi, West Java.
Kompas.com reported on Wednesday that the waste consisted mostly of food packages such as dried fruit packaging from New Zealand, snack packaging from Canada and seaweed snack packaging from South Korea.
The waste stood out as it was located in a separate mound 400 to 500 meters from the main landfill area near the Cimanggis – Cibitung toll road project. No scavengers were seen picking up the trash, which comprised paper, cardboard boxes, polystyrene and plastics.
"This is not part of the landfill area," said Mahdi, neighborhood unit (RT) 001 head of community unit (RW) 003 in Burangkeng, Setu, Bekasi, on Wednesday. "The scavengers said the waste came from abroad," he added.
Another resident, identified as F, said that some of his relatives who worked as scavengers often found waste from abroad.
"My relatives work in the waste business. I am not a scavenger myself. I've just heard stories that scavengers sometimes find bills or toys from abroad," F said. (ami)