Improve the health of the planet
We are committed to improving the health of our planet, which corresponds with Unilever’s global strategy called “The Unilever Compass”. A healthy planet is clean, sustainable, healthy, safe and comfortable for all humans, animals and plants. This is important for Unilever because business can only survive and thrive if the planet is healthy, clean, and everyone can live their daily lives safely and comfortably.
The Unilever Indonesia Foundation accepts the challenge to achieve this commitment through a series of activities carried out in all communities in partnership with the government, academics, and several NGOs that spread across Indonesia.
Waste-Free World
In Indonesia, environmental problems, especially waste, are very complicated. The waste landfill in 2020 reached 67.8 million tons, 15% of which consisted of plastic waste. From this amount, 88.17% of the plastic waste was still transported to the Final Disposal Site (TPA) or scattered throughout the environment. If plastic waste is not managed properly, it will continue to pile up uncontrollably and eventually be carelessly and haphazardly dispersed throughout the environment, thus making it virtually impossible to recycle.
The Importance of Community Participation
Unilever Indonesia believes that all waste issues, especially plastic waste, cannot be handled by one party alone, but must be done together, and this requires an integrated effort. All parties, including the public, have a very important role in the waste chain. For this reason, the Unilever Indonesia Foundation consistently carries out various activities that involve the public’s participation to act together, starting with each individual at home, to realize a greener, cleaner and more sustainable Indonesia.
Waste Bank Program
Plastic has become an inseparable part of our daily lives because it protects products and makes both the use and distribution of products easier. However, if it is not managed properly and instead disposed of carelessly, then it creates dire problems.
If managed properly, post-consumption plastic packaging can be recycled, so it will have economic value. This is in line with Unilever Indonesia's circular economy approach to address post-consumption packaging.
The Unilever Indonesia Foundation invites the public to create a cleaner environment that is free from waste, especially plastic packaging, by sorting waste from home. The Unilever Indonesia Foundation sees “waste banks” as one of the most effective and beneficial solutions even for the smallest neighborhood.
Waste banks have great potential to be continually developed; that is why since 2008 the Unilever Indonesia Foundation has been developing and refining the model for these waste banks. One approach involves Unilever’s efforts to actively educate the public about their uses and has established more than 4,000 waste banks in 37 cities and 12 provinces throughout Indonesia. Unilever Indonesia has also been strengthening the purpose and functions of these waste banks through digitalized media in collaboration with the Google My Business platform. As a result, it is now easier for the public to access and use the nearest waste banks, which reflects the government's efforts to promote waste banks.
About #GenerasiPilahPlastik
Plastic has become an inseparable part of human daily life because it can protect products and ease distribution from one place to another. However, if not managed properly and scattered in the environment, plastic can become a big problem.
#GenerasiPilahPlastik, a project that we have just launched, invites people to be part of a more concerned generation – one that is more responsible for the packaging that they use, especially plastic packaging.
Unilever Indonesia believes that plastic has its own place in the economic chain, but not in the environment. We also believe that the plastic problem is the responsibility of each of us. Let’s therefore be a part of #GenerasiPilahPlastik by doing simple steps at home: by sorting, cleaning and taking your trash to a waste bank. Each of us has a role to be able to protect our earth and keep Indonesia more sustainable #MariberbagiPeran.
Get to Know #GenerasiPilahPlastik
Tips to Become #GenerasiPilahPlastik
Start being a part of #GenerasiPilahPlastik with these tips. Don’t forget to keep and share these tips through your social media!
You can also get this information at our Instagram @unileveridn with #GenerasiPilahPlastik hashtag
Look at the Sorting Story of #GenerasiPilahPlastik
Not only can adults contribute, but children also can become #GenerasiPilahPlastik. Have a look at the Indonesian children’s contributions through the winners’ masterpieces of the Short Story Writing Competition “Semangat Melawan Sampah di Sekitar Kita”, which was held by Unilever Foundation Indonesia and the Greeneration Foundation.
Gain deeper knowledge about #GenerasiPilahPlastik through our channel.
- Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRB7xYcbk-PzkcV_cfjBvHQf2Wl3pN8Mi - Instagram @unileveridn with #GenerasiPilahPlastik hashtag
In addition to being deposited in waste banks, #GenerasiPilahPlastik, post-consumption waste can also be dropped into drop boxes. Unilever has a “Smart Drop Box” program in collaboration with Farmers Market: its “Smash” startup jointly educates consumers about the importance of sorting waste. Consumers who have sorted their waste from home can easily deposit it at smart drop boxes located at their nearest Farmers Market retail stores.
Moreover, #GenerasiPilahPlastik enables products to be bought without the customary plastic packaging at bulk wholesale stores. In early 2020, Unilever Indonesia presented its first “refill station” in Saruga Bintaro, which offered a more environmentally friendly alternative to consumers who want to use our products while reducing the use of single-use packaging.
The Importance of Partnerships and Collaborations between Stakeholders
Synergy and collaboration among all stakeholders is the key to successfully implementing a circular economy. This is a collaborative effort that involves the roles and functions of every stakeholder in overcoming environmental problems, especially plastic waste.
Waste Roadmap
Unilever Indonesia's commitment to waste management has been further strengthened by the compilation of an upstream-to-downstream plastic waste management roadmap, which has been submitted to the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry as part of the Company's Extended Stakeholder Responsibility (ESR).
This roadmap manifests our long-term support for the government’s programs and policies, in particular the Permen LHK no. 75 of 2019, which details the “Roadmap for Waste Reduction by Manufacturers”. This regulation requires producers to have clear and measurable step-by-step procedures to collect and recycle waste, especially plastic waste.
Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)
Unilever Indonesia supports the application of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) technology in waste management. This technology processes waste into alternative energy, which is then used as a low-emission renewable energy source to replace coal in the combustion process in the cement industry.
The collaboration to apply RDF technology is being carried out in two locations: 1). Orange Legi - Cilacap Regency in partnership with the Cilacap Regency Regional Government and PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia, Tbk (SBI); 2.) Bantar Gebang - DKI Jakarta, in coordination with the DKI Jakarta Government and SBI.
For more information about this initiative, please click on https://www.unilever.co.id/news/press-releases/2021/kolaborasi-pemerintah-dan-swasta-tingkatkan-sampah-sebagai-sumber-energi-terbarukan.html
PRAISE
To reduce its own environmental footprint, Unilever Indonesia is a member of PRAISE (Packaging and Recycling Association for Indonesia’s Sustainable Environment). PRAISE aims to adapt the circular economy approach by changing the perspective on used plastic packaging, not as waste, but as a commodity with the potential to create a sustainable management of packaging waste in Indonesia.
IPRO
Unilever Indonesia is also a member of the Indonesia Packaging Recovery Organization (IPRO). IPRO is an organization that focuses on waste management and optimizes circular economy practices in Indonesia. IPRO, together with Unilever and other members, always strive to handle packaging waste in Indonesia by involving both the formal and informal sectors to realize an integrated system. Unilever believes that building partnerships with governments and other stakeholders is critical in the transition to a circular economy.
Protect and Regenerate Nature
Unilever Indonesia's commitment to protect and regenerate nature is being carried out through its programs’ several concrete actions.
Small Farmers and Sustainable Farming Practices
We are continuing to protect and improve the standards of living of the farmers who are our partners in producing quality and standardized agricultural raw materials. Smallholders play an important role in the supply chain of agricultural products, especially our soy sauce product, Bango, which requires black soybeans as the main ingredient. Therefore, we have developed various programs to increase the productivity of black soybean cultivation to meet environmental, social and economic standards. To achieve this goal, we have strengthened our empowerment programs through a farmers’ group approach.
Through the Unilever Indonesia Foundation, we provide training to black soybean farmers through a mentoring program, namely the “Program Pengembangan Petani Kedelai Hitam” which was initiated in 2001. In this mentoring program, we focus on providing the assistance that are a key factor for success, namely technical assistance, access to capital, seed development, women's empowerment, cooperative development, and market guarantees.
Together with our supplier partners, we assist small farmers with activities that are aligned with good and responsible agricultural cultivation practices, which are outlined in the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code (USAC) guidelines and the Responsible Sourcing Policy. USAC itself is one of the main tools for Unilever to support efforts to preserve nature and the environment. These sustainable agriculture standards provide guidance for our partnering farmers to enable them to apply more sustainable cultivation methods and contribute to maintaining biodiversity. Until now, all of our local supplies of black soybeans are 98% USAC certified.
From the very beginning, the Black Soybean Farmer Development Program has collaborated with Gadjah Mada University (UGM). This partnership is manifested in various activities that include sustainable agriculture and innovations that support the improvement of black soybean production. One of the results was the discovery of Mallika, a superior variety of black soybean seeds, which can produce up to 2.9 tons/hectare. In SK No. 78/Kpts/Sp.120/2/2007, the Minister of Agriculture acknowledged Mallika as one of the most superior types of black soybean seeds. This recognition marks Unilever's contribution to Indonesia's biodiversity.
As a contribution to the national agenda to maintain long-term food security, we have initiated the “Program Petani Muda” in collaboration with our partner, The Learning Farm Indonesia. This program is an effort to encourage an increase in the next generation of farmers so that many young farmers are convinced that cultivation is a promising profession to pursue. In this program, we provide intensive farming skills training to young farmers. It is also realizes Bango’s noble purpose, which is to participate in improving the welfare of small farmers.
Water Management
Unilever Indonesia is committed to always maintaining water availability. We are taking concrete steps through the efficient use of water and reduction of water pollution. In terms of using water more efficiently, we are improving the processes and maintenance of water installations, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and water use cycles. Meanwhile, in terms of reducing pollution, we are carrying out good waste management through our innovative products that are fully biodegradable and products that can reduce water use, such as Rinso.
In addition to maintaining the availability of water internally, we are also collaborating across sectors to address clean water problems in Indonesia. On January 29, 2021, we signed a Joint Agreement of Partners for the formation of the Koalisi Air Indonesia. This is in line with the “Unilever 2030 Water Commitment”, which we launched globally in 2020. There are three focuses in this commitment: designing biodegradable products, implementing a water stewardship program, and building water management resilience.
In 2021 we will also be collaborating with the Sekolah Ilmu Lingkungan, Universitas Indonesia, University of Indonesia (SIL UI) to design an ablution water management system to provide clean water in several Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia.