Realizing a Kirei Lifestyle and Sustainable Living Through the Waste Wisely Program

Jakarta, November 28, 2024 – According to data from the Directorate General of Waste, Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management (PSLB3) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) in 2022, everyone produces an average of 0.7 kg of waste per day1. The accumulation of waste that ends up in landfills causes environmental pollution, which is hazardous to public health. Therefore, a collective effort is needed to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills.

Kao Indonesia has been committing to bringing the Kirei Lifestyle, a lifestyle that is clean, healthy, and beautiful in a sustainable environment, into the daily lives of the community. Through the #KaoBERGERAK (Kao Empowering Community Movement) program, Kao Indonesia has launched a new initiative called KaoBERGERAK Waste Wisely (KaoBERGERAK BISA). This program focuses on empowering communities through waste management education in Cikoko Village, Pancoran, South Jakarta.

The KaoBERGERAK BISA program aims to encourage society, particularly those in Cikoko Village, to sort waste at home into organic and inorganic categories. The sorted waste can then be collected to nearby waste banks for processing, preventing it from ending up in final disposal sites (TPA) or landfills.

In its implementation, KaoBERGERAK BISA empowers and supports 11 waste banks in Cikoko Village through three main activities such as education on household waste management, donation of waste management facilities to waste banks, and a waste sorting and collection program for Kao packaging at waste banks. This program not only aims to enhance the capabilities of waste bank volunteers but also seeks to raise public awareness about managing and depositing their waste at the nearest waste banks.

In addition to empowering the society, Kao Indonesia also prioritizes environmental education for younger generations as agents of change through the Anak KAO BISA (Waste Wisely) program. This initiative is part of Anak KAO (Creative, Active, Optimistic) – Healthy Schools 2024, aimed at encouraging behavior change in children to become more environmentally conscious through hands-on practices like waste sorting and bring knowledge into practical.

Kao Indonesia has established Waste Points at five schools in Jakarta as pilot projects for the Anak KAO educational program. At these schools, students are guided to practice waste sorting and collect used Kao product packaging, preventing it from ending up in final disposal sites (TPA) or landfills. The collected waste will be managed by a waste management partner and processed into useful products, which are then given back to the schools.

This initiative aligns with Kao Indonesia's commitment to promoting the Kirei Lifestyle, emphasizing personal and environmental cleanliness for a sustainable planet.

Wisik Restu, AVP of Legal Compliance, Industrial Relations, and Corporate Communications at Kao Indonesia, stated "The KaoBERGERAK BISA and Anak KAO BISA programs represent the company's tangible ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activities, where Kao Indonesia invites the community to be more environmentally conscious. Through these programs, we collaborate with various stakeholders to collectively change community behavior in sorting and processing waste, ensuring that it does not end up in landfills."

Wisik added that, in the long run, these programs are expected to improve the quality of life of the society in line with the values of the Kirei Lifestyle.

The Waste Wisely program also supports the principles of a circular economy, aiming to create a sustainable waste management system. The Kao packaging collected is recycled into value-added products, simultaneously helping to reduce the volume of waste that ends up in landfills.

Kao Indonesia creates high-value-added products and services that provide care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet. Through its portfolio of over several leading brands such as Attack, Bioré, Laurier, Liese, Merries, Men's Bioré, Magiclean, Megrhythm and Jergens, Kao Indonesia becomes part of the everyday lives of people in Indonesia. With the vision to be the closest to individual and beyond their expectation, currently Kao Indonesia operates two production facilities as well as a logistics center that ensures Kao Indonesia's products can be present and reach all Indonesian people. Visit the Kao Indonesia website for the latest information at https://www.kao.com/id/, Facebook and Instagram @kao.indonesia.