JAKARTA, Indonesia – September 25, 2025 – The Center for Sustainability and Waste Management (CSWM) at Universitas Indonesia (UI) reaffirmed its role as a key technical partner in advancing bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the Republic of Korea on environmental sustainability. This was demonstrated through CSWM UI’s active participation in a high-level strategic workshop with the Korean Consortium, led by the Korea Resource Circulation Service Agency (KORA).

The session marked a significant milestone in the collaborative development of new plastic sorting facility infrastructure and in strengthening joint efforts on the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms — two strategic priorities under the Indonesia–Korea cooperation framework in the waste management sector.

The workshop, focused on the Indonesia FS Project and EPR System, represented a critical operational step in shaping a joint strategy for improving plastic waste management and resource circulation. By leveraging Korea’s proven expertise in high-efficiency systems — including the KORA-led EPR model — the partnership aims to accelerate Indonesia’s national goals for plastic waste reduction, recycling capacity building, and circular economy development.

A central feature of this collaboration is the integration of academic and research-based perspectives into high-level policy planning. CSWM UI’s involvement ensures that global best practices are not only understood but also translated into locally relevant and actionable frameworks tailored to Indonesia’s unique waste management context.

During the workshop, CSWM UI delivered a pivotal presentation on the development and current landscape of voluntary EPR initiatives across Indonesia. The Center’s contribution highlighted its position as a leading knowledge partner and demonstrated the vital role of research institutions in shaping national policy and strategic decision-making.

Key contributions from CSWM UI included:

• Policy Insight and Analysis: Providing critical academic and policy perspectives on the status, challenges, and opportunities within Indonesia’s EPR landscape, ensuring proposed initiatives are effective and contextually grounded.
• Leadership in Voluntary EPR Models: Showcasing successful pilot initiatives pioneered in Indonesia, illustrating scalable models for broader industry and government adoption.
• Strengthened Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Facilitating constructive dialogue among key stakeholders — including the Korean Consortium (KORA, HRM, and Roen) and Indonesian industry associations (ADUPI, GAPMMI, and IPRO) — to lay the foundation for sustained collaboration on future projects.

“Tackling complex challenges like waste management and circular economy transition cannot be achieved by a single sector alone,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. Mochamad Chalid, Head of CSWM UI. “The mapping of voluntary EPR initiatives we presented is now informing national resource circulation efforts, reinforcing UI’s commitment to supporting the establishment of critical infrastructure such as the planned plastic sorting facility — a cornerstone of this bilateral partnership.”