MSIG Indonesia and Sinarmas MSIG Life Together with Smash.id Inaugurate a Waste-Aware Digital Village for a Better Future Life
A Concrete Form of Corporate Responsibility for Society and The Environment by Implementing Digital-Based Waste Management
Bandung, 12 August 2022 – PT Asuransi MSIG Indonesia (MSIG Indonesia) and PT Asuransi Jiwa Sinarmas MSIG Tbk. (Sinarmas MSIG Life) collaborated with Smash.id in providing Smart Drop Boxes as part of a digital-based waste management program in six villages/subdistricts in Bandung Regency, namely, Cipagalo Village, Dayeuhkolot Village, Bojongsoang Village, Wangisagara Village, Wargamekar Village and Baleendah subdistrict. This program is a form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the community and the environment, as well as aiming to increase a culture of waste awareness for the community. Welcoming the spirit of the independence day of the Republic of Indonesia, this initiative also shows efforts to change for a better future through consistently sorting out daily waste.
Garbage that is not segregated and properly managed is always a major problem in environmental pollution. In his remarks, the Head of the Bandung Regency Environmental Service, Asep Kusumah, S.Sos, M.Si said that the landfill in Bandung Regency reached 1,268 tons per day. However, only 23.6% of the waste is handled, while the rest is still piling up. "Soluble efforts are needed and the active involvement of various parties to increase public awareness that the waste produced by the environment is a burden on its own, so each must contribute in managing waste from the source and not only rely on the landfill."
Contribution to the development of a vibrant society and helping to ensure a healthy future for the planet is also a concern for MSIG Indonesia. Susana Alamsyah, MSIG Indonesia Administration Dept. Head, said, “We strive to continue to play a role in preserving the ecosystems that the planet needs to slow the pace of climate change. Facilitating and educating the public on the importance of sorting and processing waste properly is one of the steps we take in carrying out the company's campaign to protect biodiversity which is a guarantee for a sustainable future.”
Lukman Auliadi, Head of Customer & Marketing Sinarmas MSIG Life said, “In line with the spirit of 'Live for The Future', Sinarmas MSIG Life will continue to strive to realize the company's main goal of providing protection while creating a better future for the community and the environment through three initiative in implementing a lifestyle that is protected, healthy and sustainable living. We believe that this can be started by implementing simple sustainable lifestyles, such as sorting and processing waste. This collaboration is one of our concrete actions in carrying out the company's initiatives to implement ESG (Environment, Social & Governance), after previously we implemented various sustainable lifestyle initiatives through reducing carbon emissions, paper usage and plastic waste as well as minimizing electrical energy in office buildings.”
Together with Smash.id, the provision of Smart Drop Box by MSIG Indonesia and Sinarmas MSIG Life is expected to help make the waste management process easier and more effective. This digital technology-based trash bin is equipped with a barcode scanner that allows people to get conversions in the form of points to spend by collecting waste. Then, the collected waste will be processed by the nearest Waste Bank so that it can be recycled and used as goods of economic value.
Putra Fajar Alam, CEO & Founder of Smash.id explained, “Having the same spirit as MSIG Indonesia and Sinarmas MSIG Life, we want to invite the people of Bandung Regency to also participate in helping to solve the waste problem while driving the circular economy. Education is an important aspect in increasing public awareness of the importance of managing waste and creating a cleaner and healthier environment for sustainable living for future generations.”
According to Siska Nirmala, an environmental activist and perpetrator of a zero waste lifestyle, waste is not a simple problem. However, the solution to solve the waste problem can be done from the simplest way, starting from yourself and from home. “First of all, we have to understand that this waste problem is a joint affairs. So we all need to make a real contribution in everyday life. Please note, the recycling process is not as easy as we imagine, but we can help the process from the source, by sorting the waste properly and correctly. The presence of the Smart Drop Box is a good approach to help sort out waste at the household level which is one of the biggest sources of waste.”
Not all waste can be recycled or reused, so the first thing to do is to minimize the production of this waste. Realizing this, MSIG Indonesia and Sinarmas MSIG Life contribute by implementing sustainable living in their daily work through paper-saving and plastic-wise ways of working such as using a tumbler, as well as reducing employee travel carbon emissions by implementing work from anywhere.
Efforts to promote waste-aware practices in the community require support from various parties so that the implementation is clear, directed, and sustainable. This collaboration in realizing a Waste-Aware Digital Village in Bandung Regency is expected to be a joint solution and contribute to actualizing a better life now and in the future. Let’s sort out the waste for our better future life!