It seems that the authorities in Indonesia are taking the garbage crisis seriously. In Rinjani Natural Park on Lombok, 52 people have been blacklisted after it was revealed that these travelers did not take their waste back with them from the mountain. This decision was made alongside the launch of the "Zero Waste 2025" program.
Budi Susmardi, the head of forest ecosystem control in Mataram, the capital of Lombok Province, noted that with the introduction of the "Go Rinjani Zero Waste" program, cleanliness on the trails of Mount Rinjani has significantly increased. Nevertheless, the program will be further developed. According to Budi Susmardi, climbers are still not clean enough and leave litter on the routes.
Tourists heading to Rinjani are required to transfer their food and drinks into reusable containers before starting their climb. Bringing noodle, snack, and drink packaging, as well as wet wipes, to the mountain is prohibited. Special boxes for repacking are provided at park entrances. Every tourist is required to take all their trash back with them.
Offenders face sanctions - they are barred from climbing for five years. It must be added that nearly every major mountain in Indonesia has its own checkpoint that also checks documents, so there is a potential to prevent offenders from accessing high-altitude routes.
"Zero Waste 2025" is a comprehensive approach to tackling the waste problem in Indonesia, bringing together government, the private sector, and civil society efforts to achieve a sustainable future.
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