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he factory doesn’t have an assuming look. Many have passed the Lhokseumawe-Medan highway without noticing it. Only a handful of visitors have ventured to come in and take a brief look what is going on inside. Yet, the billboard says it all: Yayasan Pemulung (Scavenger Foundation), a more marketable name of Palapa Plastic Recylce (PPR) Foundation.
Behind the corrugated iron-fence that surrounds the complex, the scene is breathtaking. Bulks and baskets of plastic wastes, classified according to chemical substance and colours, are lined in order. In the background, sharp noises coming from the grinding machine welcoming as we enter further the inside of this spacious location. Meanwhile, several labors, most of them are women, in blue uniform are skillfully cleaning and sorting varied of plastics waste based on their types. One will soon realize that something unique is ongoing in the factory.
Established in 2005, PPR is the first plastic recycle factory in Aceh province. The man behind this waste-recycling industry is Baharuddin Sanian, who is now still working for ExxonMobil Lhokseumawe. Amazingly, Baharuddin has never planned that the good deed he started since 2005 will end up in the creation of plastic recycling industry. “When I formed PPR in 2005, I’ve never thought that it will go this far. At that time, I only intended to help scavengers, whom I think have done much to maintain the city clean, yet is seen so low by the society. I didn’t know anything about community development works or about waste industry. What I had only the sympathy to help scavengers.”
Before the establishment of PPR, waste only had little economic value in Aceh, while scavengers were in unfavourable condition. They had to work in unsafe working environment, had weak bargaining position against collector, poor knowledge on economic value of waste, lack of support from government and other development actors. However, despite their hard work, scavengers continue to live in deplorable condition. This is caused by the low economic value of waste, particularly the plastic-waste.
Meanwhile, the technology of plastic waste recycling process was not existent in Aceh province. Plastic wastes were dumped in the waste disposal site without any processing technology. This steadily increased burden of the dump site.
Baharuddin then discovered the key of improving economic value of plastic waste; that the plastic must be classified, sorted, and grinded based on its chemical substance. This had never been realized by scavengers. In the past, buyers only paid very low price to scavengers as they purchased the waste in unclassified and dirty state.
So, in 2005, PPR started to provide training to scavengers on techniques of waste classification. Scavengers are also trained on low risk plastic-waste management process. Plastic waste are classified into 7 types of chemical substance (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and Others [ABS, Hampact]). Scavengers are trained to recognize physical characteristics of each type of plastic, so that they can easily classfiy the plastic waste.
All of plastic waste which have been classified according to its chemical substance are then sold by scavengers to PPR. The foundation paid them according to the actual market price (the highest price). The price is obtained through daily communication with buyers in Medan (North Sumatera).
“After procuring waste from scavengers in Lhokseumawe, I realized that I must give an added-value to it, so that it can be sold at higher price to factories in Medan. The added-value can be obtained if the waste is cleaned and shredded into plastic chips. Then, I decided to buy a grinding machine in Java, in order to learn how it works. I then manufacture my own grinding machine,” said Baharuddin, recollecting his early days in working with scavengers. Baharuddin then manufactured his own version of grinding machine, one hydraulic press, one grinding blade machine, and twenty lid-removal machines. (This venture has not only saved the cost of production, but also create more job opportunities). The machines are stored and operated in the PPR workshop in Panggoi, Lhokseumawe City, Aceh.
The classified plastic waste are grinded, washed, and then dried; either by spreading it over an open cement floor (by the sun) or via a sort of cyclone drier (heat initiated via a gas burner with a nozzle –another Baharuddin’s invention). The dried chips are collected, packed, and sent to buyers in Medan.
As PPR waste processing workshop is fully established, Baharuddin doesn’t stop there. He then provided motorcycles to scavengers so that they will be able to transport the collected waste easier and faster. The motorcycle is not handed over for free. Instead, PPR uses pinjam pakai system. (By this system, motorcycles belong to PPR. Scavengers can use the motorcycle as long as they are still working as scavengers. Once they no longer work as scavengers, the motorcycle must be returned to PPR). This system is a stark contrast to the one-off distribution activities of working equipments in the post-Tsunami Aceh, which mostly fail.
In 2006, Baharuddin and PPR’s activity attracted the attention of two donors; PUM Netherlands (a Dutch technical expert group) and Austcare (an Australian NGO, a UNDP partner in Aceh). With the support of PUM Netherlands, PPR expanded its activities in Lhokseumawe. Meanwhile, with Austcare, PPR opened its Central Collection Point (CCP) in the provincial capital Banda Aceh. In the CCP, the segregated plastic wastes are collected and purchased from scavengers. The segregated waste are then sent to the PPR workshop in Lhokseumawe to undergo grinding and crushing process.
At present, PPR has directly benefitted 450 scavengers. Meanwhile, in general, no less 1,500 scavengers and sorters receive the benefit from PPR’s innovative approach. Meanwhile, the total plastic waste processed at PPR workshop every month is 50 tonnes. This has significantly reduced the burden of the municipal waste disposal site. Despite this achievement, Baharuddin still hope that PPR can process more plastic waste. At present, the volume of plastic waste in the entire Aceh province is 330 tonnes/month.
PPR also provides 25 houses to scavengers and permanent workers of PPR workshop. The funding for reconstruction and renovation of the houses is from ZeroKap Netherlands, a Dutch microcredit NGO. To pay for their new homes, 25%-50% of their income will be deducted during a 10 year period. After this period, the homes will be the property of the employees.
Despite his hectic schedule, Baharuddin still love to manufacture waste processing machine by using appropriate technology. His latest invention is lid-removal machines, which will enable scavengers to take off plastic seal of mineral water cup. The machine is able to take off the lid much safer and faster than using manual process (peeling of the lid by using knife). Costing only USD 200 per unit, Baharuddin manufactured twenty units of the machine in August 2008 and were distributed to scavengers in Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh.
For all the works that PPR and Baharuddin have done to improve the livelihood of scavengers and to protect the environment, the Global Development Network (GDN) has made PPR activity as one of the five most innovative development project in the world. “I was awed upon receiving the news from GDN. I was only helping the scavengers. My tools are my mechanical skill and sympathy to the scavengers,” Bahar commented on the achievement.
“I hope in the near future, my initiative will grow bigger; more collection points can be set up in other parts of Aceh; more scavengers can be provided motorcycle to transport their waste to PPR workshop; and more scavengers whose houses are renovated or constructed. My dream is to set up a waste-to-product factory, in which plastic waste will be recylced and converted into a brand new product –all in one roof,” explained Baharuddin, who is now nominated as the recipient of the prestigious Ashoka Fellow. If this waste-to-product factory is set up, it will bring immense economic benefit to scavengers (as the factory will require large quantity of plastic waste to be supplied), boost economic activity of the local market (until now, all plastics in Aceh are still imported from Medan, North Sumatera), and also ensure the environmental protection of Aceh from the risk of plastic waste. It will help create a better Aceh.
