Innovation

One of the innovations brought by Bumi Resik is the Hydrodrive Waste Destroyer which incinerates garbage using water-fueled technologies instead of fossil fuels. This technique involves using superheated steam as a fuel catalyst that consumes less energy and emits considerably low amounts of CO2 to operate compared to conventional incinerators. The innovation promotes investment in clean and fossil-free energy technologies (SDG 7) by selling the incinerators to local governments and cities. By installing Bumi Resik’s incinerators, the country can improve its overall waste infrastructure with a more reliable, sustainable, and resilient solution (SDG 9). As mentioned earlier, this innovation also creates employment opportunities for the poor and less fortunate scavengers who usually work in unsanitary landfills (SDG 1).

To understand how this innovation contributes to better health and well-being of not only Indonesians but also our planet (SDG 9 and 13), we will go over a brief overview of the current waste disposal pattern in the country. Garbage is first collected from local citizens and businesses and then transported to a TPS, Tempat Penampungan Sementara, or temporary disposal site, using small carts. Using trucks, non-recyclable waste is then moved from the TPS to a TPA, Tempat Pemrosesan Akhir, or a final disposal site, located somewhere on the outskirts of the city. The garbage is then piled up to form mountains of waste since there are only a few landfills and limited land to use. These dumping sites pollute the landscape and produce greenhouse gasses. The incinerators allow decentralized waste management by destroying waste near the source before it ends up in a TPS or a TPA reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing land usage, and protecting communities surrounding the landfills.

Inspiration

As described earlier, garbage is a big problem faced by almost all regions in Indonesia. Most of the cities and district governments seem confused in addressing this issue. This condition is also exacerbated by the attitudes and behavior of Indonesian citizens who are not accustomed to treating waste properly. These could be caused by various complex problems, especially ones related to the absence of waste disposal and processing facilities, adequate technology, and the absence of "concern" from various political parties to manage waste efficiently.

Current data shows that the total amount of waste created by the nation is estimated to be around 130,000 tons per day, of which 50-60% is transported to landfills. That is almost 60,000 tons of waste piled up and scattered around the city, the equivalent of 180,000 metric cubes or 30,000 trucks carrying waste, lined up for hours over a distance of 6 kilometers every single day. Tragic news depicting failures of the waste management system in Indonesia emerged in 2005, when the Leuwigajah TPA, serving the cities of Cimahi and Bandung, caused garbage landslides and methane explosions, killing 157 people. This incident was used as momentum for waste activists to raise awareness and also inspired leaders at Bumi Resik to take action and contribute to solving Indonesia's waste problem, thus the innovation to incinerate waste before they end up in waste disposal sites. When asked what made the founder and current CEO, Mr. Djaka Winarso, start the company, He replied: “My biggest intention was to work on technologies that benefit our nation, especially the current waste processing system.”

Overall impact

PT Bumiresik's solutions address the waste problem in Indonesia. Their innovative technology is beneficial to the nation, especially when it comes to processing waste. In the current state of waste emergency, what is needed is a technology that can quickly and efficiently destroy garbage to prevent mountains of waste from appearing in all the different cities across Indonesia. PT Bumiresik's Hydrodrive Waste Destroyer is the most suitable technology to achieve this goal as it is considered a thermal annihilator or an environmentally friendly incinerator. The steam-fueled Incinerator is more efficient than other incinerators and is equipped with a drying system (rotary dryer) and international standard air pollution control, which makes this technology environmentally friendly. The organization has installed three incinerators in the following regions processing a total of 5,400 tons of waste every month:

• Bandung Regency (up to 20 tons/day)
• Sangatta, East Kalimantan (50 tons/day)
• Tebet, Jakarta (120 tons/day)

Business benefit

The innovation brought by Bumiresik has positively impacted society and the environment. The business has also benefited from bringing the Hydro drive waste destroyer to the market. It is evident that the organization has challenged the idea of waste management and how big of an impact it has made by looking at the employees hired, the revenue raised, the creation of new products, and the opening of a new market.

Since the company's launch in 2014, they have hired a total of 44 employees. That means 44 people are aligned with the same mission and vision, creating a network whose sole goal is to make a healthier waste management program and, at the same time, sending a message to society and the government that the idea could bring change to the community. Being profitable allows the company to reinvest in Research & Development, or to expand its business. Bumiresik plans to open new plants across Indonesia including the installation of two units in each of the following regions: Tebet Jakarta, Morowali, South East Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. The Hydrodrive Waste Destroyer is the first of its kind in south-east Asia's waste processing market and there are no other manufacturing competitors.

Social and environmental benefit

The benefits that derive from the innovation are mainly directed toward Indonesian society's well-being as well as the environment. Through the use of PT Bumi Resik Nusantara’s steam-fueled Incinerators (Hydro drive Waste Destroyer), the business is effective in significantly destroying waste so that the chances for landfills to build up in the city are reduced. The incinerators they have designed are much more efficient than other incinerators on the market, and they are equipped with a drying system and international standard air pollution control, which makes this technology environmentally friendly.

The problem with having landfills and the reason for this innovation's importance is that these sites have been the destination of municipal solid waste which hold several issues ranging from groundwater leaching to the emissions of methane and other toxins which are harmful to the environment. These account for nearly 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is often linked exclusively to CO2, but 1/6 of total human-caused greenhouse gas is due to methane. Therefore, fewer landfills will contribute to fewer emissions and help fight climate change. The benefit for the people is that they get to live better and healthier lives since less waste will improve air and water quality. Not to mention a cleaner city that can inspire others to want to preserve and be more conscious about their pollution. It’s also important to note that this innovation is not only for the sake of this generation, but it also helps sustain the environment for future generations.

Interview

Djaka Winarso, Founder, CEO, President Director