CILACAP, CENTRAL JAVA – Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer (DDV) Purwokerto, in collaboration with the Disaster Management Center (DMC), conducted an intensive waste audit at Teluk Penyu Beach in Sentolokawat Hamlet, Cilacap Village, South Cilacap, Cilacap. This activity spanned two days, from Saturday to Sunday (9—10/9/2023), during which the joint team and volunteers collected and audited waste.
Teluk Penyu Beach was chosen for this initiative because, according to 2020 data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) of Cilacap Regency, it experienced its highest number of visitors in 2017, with 240,666 tourists. The beach, attracting an average of about 600 tourists daily, has seen a corresponding increase in waste due to the rising tourist numbers. Additionally, the beach was selected as it serves as a confluence point for two major rivers from Purbalingga and Banjarnegara Regencies, which flow through the Serayu River.
The DDV Purwokerto team noted that, despite a clean-up activity conducted a day before their waste audit at Teluk Penyu Beach, the high visitor count that day resulted in a significant accumulation of waste.
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Through this initiative, the team successfully collected 152.22 kilograms of waste, encompassing 10 different types of trash, predominantly plastic. This included plastic bags, straws, plastic spoons and forks, clear food packaging film, sachet wrappers for coffee, noodle packaging, and more.
Dewi Astuti, the PIC of DDV Purwokerto, mentioned, “Since there is no waste bank in the vicinity, we handed over the collected waste to the management of Teluk Penyu Beach for subsequent disposal at a landfill.”
The waste audit involved collecting, sorting, brand recording, washing the waste, and then either delivering it to a waste bank or an Integrated Waste Management Facility (TPST).
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‘The brand audit data will be submitted to Break Free From Plastic and will contribute to the global compilation of plastic waste brand audits,’ Dewi added.
This effort aims to foster a positive impact and motivate individuals to manage waste more responsibly. The underlying message is clear: There is only One Earth, so Empower Now.” (Dompet Dhuafa/DMC/DDV/Maolan/Wijil)