The West Java administration will work with UK-based plastic processing firm Plastic Energy to construct waste treatment sites that process plastic waste into diesel and raw plastic materials.

A wasteland in West Java province (Photo: Jakarta Post)

The facilities, which will be developed in five locations, are expected to become operational by 2023.

Governor of West Java province Ridwan Kamil said that there will be two plants in each location.

One plant, which will take nine months to construct, will separate plastic waste from other waste, he said, adding the other plant will include a petrochemical processor that will take around two years to build.

At the treatment facilities, domestic waste collected from households will be separated based on materials, as materials like paper, cardboard, glass and aluminum cannot be processed into hydrocarbons.

Plastic Energy CEO Carlos Monreal said his company will allocate at least 50 million EUR (55 million USD) for the construction of waste treatment facilities in each location.

Currently, the firm is recycling 5-6 million tonnes of plastic per year, and is aiming for 10 million tonnes by 2025.

Plastic Energy will ensure all plants in Indonesia follow exact protocols as well as health and safety standards implemented by their European counterparts, he added.

The firm has been building similar facilities in Spain for three years, and has just signed an agreement on providing feedstock for the production of certified circular polymers in the Netherlands.

(Source: VNA)