Jakarta to track how much it throws away

Jakarta has launched smart cards to track how much garbage the city produces. Each garbage collector employed by the government will get a card with a chip that stores data on how much recyclable material they collect every day.

This data will be used to ensure that the garbage collectors are paid correctly and will allow the government to track how much waste is produced every day.

The city has five trash banks which pay garbage collectors by the weight of recyclable waste they bring in. The banks then sell the trash to companies for recycling.

Garbage collectors would be more willing to participate in this programme if they could get a fair pay for the recyclables they bring in, believes Marnaek Siahaan, head of community engagement at the Jakarta Sanitation Agency.

“We’re applying this program in order to improve the garbage banks’ role in the community. This program will make the monitoring of the garbage banks easier,” he added