As long as our society does not challenge the current consumer norms, waste will be generated. Waste management is a significant challenge in remote areas, including our work sites in the middle of the forest. Therefore, a system to sort and properly dispose of waste is critical for our teams and represents an important task in their long list of daily duties. In addition to Post-Release Monitoring (PRM) activities, our team also runs one of the ecosystem restoration (RE) programs, habitat management and development (PPH). This program is handled by the RE-PPH Division, and one of its objectives is to handle waste created during camp activities.

The waste generated from our team's operational activities consists of organic, inorganic, and hazardous and toxic materials (B3). Managing B3 waste requires special handling due to its dangerous and toxic nature. In our work area, B3 waste is separated from other household waste from the beginning. This separation is carried out to avoid contamination and facilitate the processing.

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Next, B3 waste is stored in special containers that are resistant to corrosion and leakage. These containers are then placed separately to prevent them from being accessed accidentally by other team members, reducing health risks to our team. It, along with other inorganic waste that can't be destroyed will be distribute to a location outside of our workplace.

In addition to B3 waste, our team also manages organic waste. Organic waste such as food scraps, leaves, and other organic materials are collected separately and then buried in a compost pit. Organic waste then undergoes natural fermentation under strict supervision. This process involves adding supporting materials such as soil and decomposing microorganisms. After two to three months, the ready compost as both solid and liquid fertilizer as natural fertilizer in our planting program.

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With proper separation and processing, the domestic landfill in our work area helps to mitigate the potential for negative impact of waste on the environment. This aligns with our vision for responsible forest management and conservation, which aims to maintain the health of the forest ecosystem, especially water and soil cycles. This is further supported by our planting program which helps improve ecosystem integrity by restoring ecological balance and improving the quality of life for both biodiversity and also human communities even in the most remote areas.

Text by: Communication Team, BOS Foundation Headquarters, Bogor, West Java