On 15 March, the Indonesian government commenced social distancing across the country to limit the spread of COVID-19. In response, Project STOP has temporarily closed its offices and our teams are working from home. In Muncar and Pasuruan, workers engaged in the collection and processing of waste continue to work on the frontline.
Ensuring continuous waste management is essential to maintaining community health as well as keeping plastic out of the environment. For this reason, many countries have given key worker status to individuals who deliver waste management services, and Project STOP is continuing existing waste services in Indonesia.
We are committed to keeping our collection and TPST (waste processing facility) workers in Muncar and Pasuruan safe. We have conducted hygiene and Coronavirus training, installed additional hand-washing stations, and take worker temperatures each morning using a thermometer scanner to detect fevers. These essential workers continue to wear protective equipment including gloves and face masks and practice social distancing. Collection vehicles and equipment are fully sanitized daily, and common surfaces are cleaned multiple times per day. To date, all frontline workers remain healthy.
We are grateful to all of Project STOP’s employees who are working on the frontline to keep plastic waste out of the ocean and contributing to the health of the community. We also thank our partners for their continued support and engagement during this time.
We will continue to provide updates on Project STOP activities and operations over the coming weeks.
