Project STOP marks further major milestones in 2023 and makes significant progress in the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau expansion programme
Milestones achieved by Project STOP in December 2023
Key Highlights:
- Project STOP has significantly impacted three Indonesian locations to date, including the implementation launch of the scale-up programme Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau
- As a co-founder of Project STOP, Borealis commits the full funding of the next phase of Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau
- Since inception until the end of 2023, Project STOP has provided waste collection to almost 400,000 people, created close to 300 full-time jobs in the waste sector, and collected more than 60,000 tonnes of waste (of which nearly 9,000 tonnes of plastic)
- City programmes in Pasuruan and Jembrana were successfully handed over to local units of governance
Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia [20 March, 2024] — Reflecting on the year 2023, Project STOP, co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq, has already marked major milestones and made significant impacts. From the inception of Project STOP to the end of December 2023, around 400,000 people gained access to comprehensive waste services through Project STOP. Many of these individuals are now using formal waste collection services for the first time, which is an important step in improving community well-being and environmental sustainability.
Since its inception in 2017, Project STOP, hand-in-hand with its governmental and non-governmental partners, has created almost 300 full-time jobs across all Project STOP locations. These jobs, which support the local economies, vary from waste collection and material sorting to waste system management and administrative roles.
Furthermore, more than 60,000 tonnes of waste, including nearly 9,000 tonnes of plastic, have been successfully collected through Project STOP as of December 2023. This not only stops pollution from entering the environment, but it also shows the programme’s direct, tangible contributions to responsible waste management.
Waste collector operates moving vehicle to pick up waste in community houses in Muncar, Banyuwangi
Project STOP’s ‘system enabler’ approach entails building the waste management system together with governments at the local level over several years, then stepping back so that the local units of governance can fully operate their own systems. In 2023, Project STOP handed over operations in its second and third cities – Pasuruan and Jembrana – after nearly four years operating on the ground in each location. While Project STOP continues to provide light-touch support to past locations on an as-needed basis, these handovers closed the first phase of Project STOP’s work, which focused on creating programmes at a sub-regency level.
The Project STOP scale-up programme, Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau, in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, is focusing on the full regency level and shifted into implementation mode by opening a large-scale materials recovery facility (MRF) and launching initial service rollouts. Only three months after its inauguration in September 2023, the facility is already providing access to waste services for more than 13,500 individuals in 12 villages.
The programme has built upon a long-standing strategic partnership with the Banyuwangi government, a collaboration highlighted by the direct backing of Ipuk Fiestiandani, the Banyuwangi Regent. She has emphasized the ongoing global waste issue and stressed the imperative need for cooperation among stakeholders to prevent environmental waste leakage. Ipuk has expressed Banyuwangi Regency’s commitment to Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau, striving for tangible improvements in both environmental health and the well-being of Banyuwangi residents.
“We are very proud to further extend our commitment to Project STOP, striving to provide Indonesia’s first Regency-wide waste management system, enabling access to sustainable waste collection to all residents in Banyuwangi—fully true to our purpose of reinventing essentials for sustainable living,” says Thomas Gangl, Borealis CEO. “Borealis will fully finance the construction of a second material recovery facility under the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau expansion and the roll-out of waste services to an additional 250,000 people in the region,” he further adds.
The success of Project STOP can be largely attributed to its meaningful collaborations and close relationships with various Indonesian government bodies, including the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs (CMMAI), the National Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) and the Banyuwangi regency government.
Ultimately, the Project STOP partners are aiming to provide waste collection services to 2 million people, creating over 1,000 jobs and collecting 230,000 tonnes of waste annually, including 25,000 tonnes of plastic.
As noted by Ben Dixon, Partner, Systemiq, “These achievements were only possible through the work of our visionary partners, notably including the government of Indonesia and our strategic partners from across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. We are proud of Project STOP’s accomplishments to date and hope that our efforts can help inspire ever broadening impacts in the future.”
For more information about Project STOP please visit: www.stopoceanplastics.com
About Project STOP
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and Systemiq, Project STOP (STop Ocean Plastics) works hand-in-hand with city governments to create effective circular waste management systems in high-need areas of Southeast Asia. The initiative supports cities with technical expertise to achieve zero-leakage of waste, increase recycling, build economically sustainable programs, creating new jobs and reducing the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, tourism, and fisheries. The first city partnership was established in 2017 in the municipality of Muncar, East Java, followed by others in Pasuruan, East Java and Jembrana, Bali. In February 2022, Project STOP Muncar was handed over to the local government and community. In March 2023 Project STOP Pasuruan was handed over to the government and community and in June 2023 Project STOP Jembrana was fully handed over to the local regency government.
Now the programme expands to the Banyuwangi regency—combining a regency level waste system model with a material aggregator into a circular waste and recycling solution that can transform waste economics.
For more information on Project STOP:
Website: www.stopoceanplastics.com
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About Borealis
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions and a European front-runner in polyolefins recycling. In Europe, we are a market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers. We leverage our polymer expertise and decades of experience to offer value adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries such as consumer products, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and mobility.
In re-inventing essentials for sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people, innovation and technology, and performance excellence. We are accelerating the transformation to a circular economy of polyolefins and expanding our geographical footprint to better serve our customers around the globe.
With head offices in Vienna, Austria, we employ 6,900 employees and operate in over 120 countries. In 2021, we generated total sales of EUR 12.342 EUR billion and a net profit of EUR 1,396 million. OMV, the Austria-based international oil and gas company, owns 75% of our shares, while the remaining 25% is owned by a holding company of the Abu-Dhabi based Mubadala. We supply services and products to customers around the globe through Borealis and two important joint ventures: Borouge (with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC, based in UAE); and Baystar™ (with TotalEnergies, based in the US)
www.borealisgroup.com | www.borealiseverminds.com
About SYSTEMIQ
SYSTEMIQ was founded in 2016 to drive the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by transforming markets and business models in four key systems: land use, circular materials, clean energy, and sustainable finance. A certified B-Corp, SYSTEMIQ is a global advisory and investment firm that partners with industry, government and civil society, financing, and invests in high-impact ventures with the potential to unlock economic opportunities that benefit business, society, and the environment, and deliver systems change.
To learn more, visit www.systemiq.earth.
