Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia must adopt a holistic approach that integrates both upstream and downstream waste management to ensure systematic and sustainable solutions to its mounting waste problem, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said on Thursday.Speaking at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting on Waste Management in Jakarta, Karnavian noted that Indonesia is the world's fifth-largest waste producer and ranks third in plastic waste generation, describing the situation as alarming and requiring serious evaluation.”I want this meeting to be more than a ceremonial event, but to serve as yet another wake-up call,” he said in a statement from his office.He stressed that waste management extends beyond cleanliness and hygiene, as it directly affects public health and also presents economic opportunities through recycling and waste processing industries.Karnavian outlined three approaches to waste management: upstream, downstream, or an integrated model combining both. However, he underscored the need to reduce overreliance on downstream solutions and strengthen upstream measures, which focus on waste reduction at the source — beginning at the household and neighborhood levels.”Under this approach, each household, neighborhood, and village contributes to reducing waste output by processing it within their respective environments,” he explained.He cited community-based waste management practices in Banyuwangi, Klungkung, and Subang, where early waste sorting has significantly reduced the volume sent to landfills.Regarding organic waste, the minister highlighted the economic potential of maggot cultivation, which can produce animal feed and organic fertilizer.On the downstream side, he emphasized the importance of improving waste transportation systems and adopting advanced processing technologies, particularly in high-waste-generating regions.