Perceptions of Community-Based Waste Bank Operators and Customers on Its Establishment and Operationalization: Cases in Pangandaran, Indonesia

There is a lack of awareness and understanding of how to manage waste effectively in Indonesia, especially in coastal rural areas. This paper discusses the important issues in waste management and proposes effective waste management practices in Indonesia. This paper also provides a case study involving the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the waste bank project in Pangandaran, Indonesia, and its impact on the community, reflected by the perceptions of its operators and customers, which was achieved through several questionnaires. The results showed that waste banks are a viable option to manage waste in Pangandaran. This is based on the finding that waste banks have created employment opportunities and raised awareness among the community about how to manage waste effectively. The waste bank also enables its members to earn income from recycling, which provides benefits to the community and encourages further participation in the waste bank program. The most important finding is that community-based projects can provide engagement-generating value to communities and can be sustainably run by the community independently and in the long term. Nevertheless, the success and operational sustainability of waste banks are affected by many factors, hence endorsement from municipal authorities, non-profit entities, corporations, and additional interested parties is needed.