Lecturers of the Faculty of Law reviewed the circular economy-based waste management regulatory model as an effort to realize a spatial layout that is environmentally sound and justice. Blitar City was chosen as the research location because the waste management policy was not optimal. This is due to the lack of maximum processing of organic and inorganic waste in Blitar City. In fact, the Blitar City Government has launched the Blitar City Waste Management Community Movement (GEMPITA) program which aims to improve waste management. Unfortunately, until now the GEMPITA program has not run optimally.
In this group research activity, the Faculty of Law Lecturer team planned to overcome the waste problem in Blitar City by reviewing the laws and regulations and the concept of the circular economy which is expected to be implemented by the people in Blitar City as an effort to realize Net Zero Cities. The existence of this circular economy concept is to replace the concept of a linear economy. The concept is able to maximize yields and profits while still paying attention to sustainability.
Circular economy is the antithesis of the linear economic model that applies the concept of “take-make-dispose”. In contrast, the concept of a circular economy is an environmentally friendly system that maintains the value of the material so that it can be used again and again. It aims at maximizing the use of materials in a circular manner to minimize the production of waste by recovering, reusing products and materials as much as possible, systemically and repeatedly.
In July 2022, a team of lecturers from the Faculty of Law made a visit to the Final Disposal Site (TPA) to directly observe waste management practices in Blitar City. The team also conducted interviews with the management of the Waste Bank and Temporary Waste Disposal Sites (TPST) in 3 sub-districts in Blitar City.
Furthermore, the team also held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) twice with DLH Blitar City.
The first FGD discussed the obstacles and challenges of waste management based on a circular economy, while the second FGD discussed the presentation of the results of a study that had been carried out by a team of lecturers from the Faculty of Law of Brawijaya.
The activity carried out by the team of Lecturers from the Faculty of Law in Brawijaya received a very good response from the DLH for planning to deal with waste in Blitar City through a circular economy. Furthermore, the management of the Waste Bank and TPST highly appreciate and support the sustainability of the results of the study. On the other hand, more integrated and modern regulations and policies are needed in order to realize the circular economy concept. So that the hope is to create a culture of environmental awareness in the community and the success of the priority program for environmental protection carried out by the Mayor of Blitar, so that it can run more successfully in accordance with the vision and mission that has been proclaimed.
From the discussions that have been carried out, several recommendations were made, Capacity Building for Waste Management. Capacity Building, especially for sorters at the TPA level, to know more deeply about the generation of waste and what potential can be extracted from the waste; Identification of Types of Household Waste includes the average amount of waste produced per household, the ratio of organic and inorganic waste, the percentage composition of organic and inorganic types of waste, and the method of waste management for all TPS; waste bank integration
The activity was initiated by Prischa Listiningrum, S.H., LL.M as the lead researcher and Muhammad Dahlan, S.H., M.H assisted by FH student Herlin Sri Wahyuni. (HRLN/Humas UB/ Trans. Iir).
