inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto is encouraging universities to develop research-based waste processing and recycling innovations.

Brian emphasized the need for decentralized and integrated waste management from upstream to downstream, starting with sorting at the household level and ending with waste processing at integrated facilities.

"One sub-district can produce around 100 tons of waste per day. If segregation is carried out properly, only around 10–20 tons of waste per day need to be incinerated," said Brian on Monday (3/16/2026).

According to him, this approach can reduce the volume of waste entering landfills while simultaneously opening up economic opportunities through the reuse of valuable materials.

He cited the example of the waste processing facility owned by Bandung Islamic University, which uses plasma-assisted technology to help break down hazardous compounds during the residue incineration process. This technology is considered to have the potential for wider application.

The Minister of Education and Technology explained that waste processing can be carried out in stages, starting with sorting at the village level, medium-scale processing at the sub-district level, and finally utilizing technology to process non-recyclable residue.

This approach is considered more efficient from a logistical and cost perspective than a centralized management system.

(ad/ndt/pr/rs)