Jakarta, IO – PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk (Chandra Asri Group), a leading chemical and infrastructure solutions company in Indonesia, is proud to announce that it has exceeded the target of 100 km of plastic asphalt roads which was initiated together with various stakeholders such as the government, private parties and associations. This important milestone is celebrated in the Garut Regency. Chandra Asri Group in collaboration with the Bakti Barito Foundation and the Garut Regency Government contributed to the construction of 50.2 km of a total of 100 km of plastic asphalt roads. This 50.2 km long plastic asphalt ran from 2022 to 2023 and successfully managed up to 431.5 tons of plastic waste from final disposal sites (TPA).
The first plastic asphalt trial took place in 2018 at the petrochemical factory area belonging to the Chandra Asri Group in Cilegon City, Banten. Five years since the commitment was initiated, Garut Regency has become the point of achieving the target as well as the region with the longest road. Through multi-party collaboration, this program is also a collective step to support the government’s target of reducing waste by up to 30% and reducing the amount of waste in the ocean by up to 70% by 2025.
By the end of 2023, Chandra Asri Group and partners have laid out 120.8 km of roads mixed with plastic waste, exceeding the initial target of 100 km. The total accumulation of this road’s achievements creates new functions and adds economic value to 1,086 tons of plastic bag waste. Furthermore, every kilometer of plastic asphalt road absorbs 1.6 tonnes of plastic waste and increase in road durability of up to 40%.
Nurdin Yana MH, Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Garut Regency, said under the agreement that had been made, since 2022 Garut Regency has applied plastic asphalt on six roads with a length of 16.56 km using 30.96 tonnes of chopped plastic waste and in 2023 it applied to approximately 17 roads with a length of 33.68 km using 49.54 tonnes of chopped plastic waste.
“It is an honor that Garut Regency become a pilot project for implementing asphalt mixed with plastic waste. Thank you Bakti Barito Foundation and PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk, who have developed the plastic asphalt program, this is truly an achievement for us in Garut Regency. The application of asphalt mixed with plastic waste is not only a sustainability innovation, but could be a new milestone for infrastructure development in Garut Regency,” he said.
Edi Rivai, Legal Director, External Affairs & Circular Economy of Chandra Asri Group, explained that Chandra Asri Group developed the Plastic Asphalt initiative as an innovative solution to contribute to handling plastic waste in Indonesia through circular economy principles. “We implemented this plastic asphalt through collaboration with various parties and we give our deepest appreciation to the Garut Regency Government and the Bakti Barito Foundation which has become one of our partners in alleviating the plastic waste problem in Indonesia. Hopefully the success achieved can be an inspiration for more regions in Indonesia to implement similar sustainable infrastructure.”
After achieving the target of 100 km of asphalt roads mixed with plastic, Chandra Asri Group as a growth partner will continue to be open to collaboration opportunities to extend plastic asphalt roads to create a “Indonesia Asri”.
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Fifi Pangestu, Executive Director of the Bakti Barito Foundation said, “This is the longest plastic asphalt road in one location. Thank you to all partners, stakeholders, and local communities for their invaluable support in realizing this vision. The Bakti Barito Foundation and the Garut Regency government have also built a joint partnership in supporting the Adiwiyata program. We hope that this partnership can provide comprehensive solutions and expand access to environmental education while building a resilient community in Garut.”
The Indonesian Plastic Recycling Association (ADUPI) become a strategic partner for the Garut Plastic Asphalt project in providing chopped plastic waste under the Public Works and Public Housing of Republic of Indonesia (PUPR) Ministry’s technical standards. This collaboration with ADUPI ensures that the quality of materials meets high standards, also contributing to recycling efforts and efficient management of plastic waste. This collaboration not only provides significant environmental benefits but also supports the realization of sustainable infrastructure development in Garut Regency. (*)