Larius Kogoya, Jayapura – Food waste contributes more significantly to global warming than carbon dioxide due to methane emissions released during decomposition, a WWF Indonesia official said.

Adelia Tania, an environmental campaign staff member with WWF Indonesia's Papua Program, said methane generated from rotting food is up to 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere.

She made the remarks during a sustainable lifestyle campaign workshop on food waste held in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua, on Friday (April 24, 2026).

The workshop, she said, was driven by growing concern over rising global temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

"Many people still dispose of waste indiscriminately and rely heavily on plastic, while energy use remains inefficient. Food waste is one of the contributing factors to climate change," Tania said.

She called for collective action to curb climate change, stressing the need for better management of food waste.

At the household level, she said, simple measures such as sorting waste – separating plastics, bottles, and food scraps – can help reduce environmental impact.

"Managing food waste can start at the individual level – for example, by choosing and consuming only what is needed so nothing is left over or thrown away. When we eat, we should finish our meals and avoid waste. Food scraps can be turned into compost or used to produce maggots," she said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Jayapura Regency Environmental Agency (DLH), Salmon Telenggen, said the regency generates an average of 90 tons of waste per day, with around 60 percent consisting of food waste.

He said the dominance of food waste is based on a 2025 study conducted by WWF Indonesia Papua Program in collaboration with the local environmental agency.

"About 60 percent of the waste comes from food loss and waste generated by restaurants, cafes, hotels, and households in Jayapura Regency," he said.

The regency government has begun working with operators of cafes, restaurants, food stalls, and hotels to separate food waste at the source.

"Where possible, this waste can be processed into animal feed by connecting with local livestock owners. We also process it into maggots, which can be used as feed for livestock and fish. Maggots have a high fat content and are very beneficial," he said.

Source: https://jubi.id/pacnews/2026/food-waste-a-major-driver-of-global-warming-wwf-says