Project STOP and Accenture develop waste management app in Indonesia; digital solution targets 377,000 households for waste collection optimization in East Java's low-connectivity areas

• Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau App: Helping to optimize and digitize waste management, enhancing accountability in waste operations with features for registration, fee collection, and route optimization and designed for use in low connectivity areas and on fit-for-purpose devices.
• App service coverage of nearly 30,000 households achieved so far and a target of 377,000 households into the future.

Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, December 18, 2024 − Project STOP is delighted to announce a strategic collaboration with Accenture to scale up the ongoing Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau program in East Java, Indonesia. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the effort to develop and implement effective household waste management and recycling systems in Indonesia.

With the introduction of the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau App, the project makes an important contribution to transforming waste management in Indonesia by digitizing processes, enhancing accountability and streamlining operations. The app has already reached nearly 30,000 households, with plans to expand to 377,000, and aims to improve customer registration, fee collection and route optimization in low-connectivity rural areas.

The initiative is part of Project STOP’s broader mission to create comprehensive, economically sustainable waste management systems in Southeast Asia at scale. Project STOP was co-founded by Borealis and Systemiq in 2017, and since then has connected more than 450,000 people to a waste management system. Through collaborative efforts with national and local governments in Indonesia, local communities, private sector companies and academia partners, Project STOP aims to reduce plastic leakage into the environment, enhance public health and create green jobs. The app will support Project STOP with rolling out effective household waste management systems to hundreds of thousands of people without access to a formal managed waste system today, stopping the influx of waste into the environment and oceans at source.

Accenture is supporting this effort primarily through Accenture Song, Accenture’s tech-powered creative group. Leveraging a team of digital innovators and technology experts, Accenture Song co-developed the app, applying human-centered design principles to address key challenges in waste management. This collaboration reflects Accenture’s ongoing commitment to combining creativity, technology, and sustainability to tackle complex social and environmental challenges. Through this innovative work, both organizations aim to create a blueprint for future waste management programs across Indonesia and beyond.

“At Accenture, we believe technology can be a powerful catalyst for solving the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Ronny Laudien, Experience Architect at Accenture Song. “By working closely with Project STOP and applying our expertise in digital innovation, we’re creating scalable, sustainable solutions that address both environmental concerns and improve the quality of life for communities. This project is a testament to the impact that can be achieved when technology, creativity, and purpose come together.”

Optimizing waste management with digital solutions

The Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau App provides practical solutions for rural areas where waste management systems are now being developed. Its key features include:

• Real-time registration: Residents can easily sign up for waste collection services digitally.
• Fee collection system: Digital payments make it easy for users to pay for services, improving efficiency and transparency.
• Route optimization: Waste collectors can plan the most efficient routes, reducing time and operational costs.
• Designed for low-connectivity areas: The app is tailored for use in regions of Indonesia with limited internet access, ensuring inclusivity.
• Fit-for-purpose devices: Built for smaller screen sizes and cost-effective devices, making it accessible to waste management workers and communities in rural areas.
• Map views: Helps identify households not yet participating in the program, allowing targeted outreach and better service coverage.

Beyond improving waste collection with the new App, Accenture and Project STOP will explore new ways to enhance transparency in the recycling process. Through materials tracking and tracing technology, plastics collected in ocean-bound areas will be monitored through the recycling chain, thus minimizing social and environmental risks and promoting greater accountability and efficiency.

“We are grateful to have Accenture as a partner in Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau,” says Markus Horcher, Director Sustainability & Public Affairs at Borealis. “This collaboration is a great example of how working together across sectors fosters the development of innovative solutions that create sustainable and long-lasting impact.”

Steven Sujoto, Program Director, Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau at Systemiq, says, “As co-founders of Project STOP, we believe that addressing the root causes of plastic pollution requires bold partnerships and innovative solutions. Our collaboration with Accenture in Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau is a powerful example of how technology and systems thinking can drive transformational change. With this app and Project STOP’s system enabler approach, we are creating a replicable model for sustainable waste management that not only protects the environment but also benefits communities across Indonesia.”

Since its introduction, the Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau App has received external recognition, receiving prestigious awards from the Art Directors Club (ADC), earning one bronze and two other awards, recognizing it as an exemplary Native Android App promoting sustainable waste disposal in Indonesia. The ADC awards brings together approximately 800 leading figures in creative communication annually, honoring outstanding achievements in communication and design.

This media release is also available in German language.

Media contacts :

Systemiq
Efendi A, Communications Officer, Project STOP
Tel.: +62 811 1053 3827 (Indonesia)
E-mail: arapa.efendi@systemiq.earth

Ulrike Stein, Senior Communications Manager, Systemiq
Tel: +44 782 705 8082 (London, UK)
E-Mail: Ulrike.stein@systemiq.earth

About Project STOP
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and Systemiq, Project STOP (STop Ocean Plastics) works hand-in-hand with city governments to create effective circular waste management systems in high-need areas of Southeast Asia. The initiative supports cities with technical expertise to achieve zero-leakage of waste, increase recycling, build economically sustainable programmes, creating new jobs and reducing the harmful impact of mismanaged waste on public health, tourism, and fisheries. The first city partnership was established in 2017 in the municipality of Muncar, East Java, followed by others in Pasuruan, East Java and Jembrana, Bali. Between February 2022 and June 2023, all three Project STOP city partnerships were fully handed over to the local regency governments.

The focus of Project STOP is now on the scale-up of the first Regency-wide circular waste management project in Indonesia (Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau).

For more information on Project STOP:
Website: www.stopoceanplastics.com


About Borealis
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. In Europe, Borealis is also an innovative leader in polyolefins recycling and a major producer of base chemicals. We leverage our polymer expertise and decades of experience to offer value-adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries such as consumer products, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and mobility.

With customers in over 120 countries and head office in Vienna, Austria, Borealis employs around 6,000 people. In 2023, we generated a net profit of EUR 216 million. OMV, the integrated energy, fuels & feedstock and chemicals & materials company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, owns 75% of our shares. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), owns the remaining 25%.

In re-inventing essentials for sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people, innovation and technology, and performance excellence. We are accelerating the transformation to a circular economy of polyolefins and expanding our geographical footprint to better serve our customers around the globe. Our operations are augmented by two important joint ventures: Borouge (with ADNOC, headquartered in the UAE); and Baystar™ (with TotalEnergies, based in the US).
www.borealisgroup.com | www.borealiseverminds.com


About Systemiq
Systemiq was founded in 2016 to drive the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by transforming markets and business models in five key systems: nature and food, materials and circularity, energy, urban areas and sustainable finance. A certified B-Corp, Systemiq combines strategic advisory with high-impact on-the-ground work, and partners with business, finance, policy makers and civil society to deliver systems change. Systemiq has offices in Brazil, France, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the UK. Find out more at www.systemiq.earth.