SIG and partners expand “Recycle for Good” in Indonesia to strengthen recycling and help prevent marine litter

SIG and its project partners Plastic Bank, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate Environment and Energy, and decision context are expanding “Recycle for Good” in Indonesia from activities already established in Greater Jakarta to additional areas including Surabaya and Marang in East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and Bali. The expansion is part of the regional “Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter” project, funded through ZUG on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The expansion strengthens efforts to improve waste segregation, collection and recycling while encouraging greater participation from communities and stakeholders across the packaging waste value chain.

The expansion builds on “Recycle for Good” activities and will further extend packaging collection programs while supporting investment in recycling infrastructure in Indonesia. As part of these efforts, SIG has already worked with Eco-Paper to upgrade pulping equipment at its recycling facility, strengthening its capacity to process used beverage cartons and helping create more effective recovery pathways for collected packaging.

 

As the world’s largest archipelagic country, Indonesia’s environmental and economic wellbeing is closely connected to the health of its rivers, coastlines and seas. Preventing packaging waste from reaching the ocean therefore requires action that goes beyond clean-up activities. It requires stronger systems upstream and downstream – from how waste is separated and collected to how recyclable materials are processed and returned into productive use.

 

Through “Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter”, SIG and its project partners are working to make recycling more accessible and practical by combining community engagement, behavioral change, collection networks, recycling infrastructure and collaboration across the value chain. The initiative currently covers activities in Greater Jakarta in West Java, Surabaya and Malang in East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and Bali. To date, the project has been implemented across 389 locations, supported by a diverse network of participating partners, including schools, communities, cafés, businesses, religious institutions, and waste collectors. Together, they are helping broaden access to recycling, encourage greater community participation, and integrate more sustainable practices into everyday life.

 

“’Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter’ is about making recycling more accessible, practical, and rewarding for communities in Indonesia. Marine litter cannot be addressed through awareness alone. It also requires better segregation, stronger collection networks, recycling infrastructure, and sustained participation from people and partners across the value chain. Together with our partners, SIG is working to help more used packaging enter the right recovery streams and support recycling habits that can create lasting environmental and social value,” said Noer Wellington, Commercial Director Asia Pacific South, Japan and Korea at SIG.

 

From awareness to a stronger recycling ecosystem

“Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter” is designed to address multiple points within the waste-management system. Activities include promoting responsible waste segregation and disposal among households, schools and communities; strengthening collection systems; supporting recycling infrastructure; and encouraging closer participation between waste collectors, recyclers, businesses, institutions and communities. Digital tools, community engagement activities, and reward-based mechanisms are also used to encourage participation and help turn recycling into more consistent behavior rather than a one-off activity.

 

This approach also recognizes the important role of waste collectors and local collection networks. Strengthening connections between community-level collection and more formal recycling channels can help increase material recovery while supporting the people whose livelihoods are connected to the recycling ecosystem.

 

Supporting Indonesia’s circular economy direction

The project is aligned with Indonesia’s broader direction toward improved waste reduction, marine-debris prevention, Extended Producer Responsibility and the development of a circular economy. By addressing waste management from upstream behavior and segregation through collection, recycling infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration, Recycle for Good is intended to complement national efforts to strengthen waste-management systems and prevent recyclable materials from leaking into the environment.

 

The project will also generate practical experience and insights from implementation that can help inform continued collaboration among industry, communities, and other stakeholders working to strengthen recycling systems.

 

Connecting Indonesia with regional action

Indonesia is one of three implementation markets for the “Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter” project, alongside Thailand and the Philippines. Across the three countries, the project will be run until December 2028.

 

At regional level, the project aims to prevent at least 10,000 tons of packaging waste from entering the ocean and engage at least 100,000 households. These are combined regional targets covering the three participating countries.

 

The multi-country approach will enable participating markets to share experience, data, methodologies, and successful implementation models, helping identify approaches that can be adapted and scaled according to local recycling systems and community needs. Through continued expansion of collection programs, investment in recycling facilities and collaboration with partners across the value chain, SIG aims to help strengthen the systems that enable used packaging to move from consumption to collection and ultimately back into productive use.

 

 

 

About SIG

 

SIG is a leading provider of packaging system solutions. With our unique portfolio of aseptic carton, bag-in-box, and spouted pouch, we work in partnership with our customers to bring food and beverage products to consumers around the world in a safe, sustainable, and affordable way. Our technology and outstanding innovation capabilities enable us to provide our customers with end-to-end solutions for differentiated products, smarter factories, and connected packs, all to address the ever-changing needs of consumers. Sustainability is integral to our business, and we strive to create a regenerative food packaging system.

Founded in 1853, SIG is headquartered in Neuhausen, Switzerland, and listed at the SIX Swiss Exchange. The skills and experience of our approximately 9,700 employees worldwide enable us to respond quickly and effectively to the needs of our customers in over 100 countries. In 2025, SIG produced around 54 billion packs and generated €3.2 billion in revenue. SIG has an AAA ESG rating by MSCI, a Platinum CSR rating by EcoVadis, and is included in the FTSE4Good Index. For more information, visit www.sig.biz   

 

 

 

 

Your contact for media inquiries:

Cheryl Lim

Communications Manager at SIG Asia Pacific South

tel: (+65) 80540031

email: cheryl.limshiying@sig.biz