BCA and KPHL Synergize for The Environment and Local Economy, Wana Wisata Meranti Now Has a Compost House

Balikpapan, 5 September 2024 - PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) continues to have a positive impact on the environment while ensuring community readiness to support sustainable practices. Under the umbrella campaign of 'Bakti BCA', the company together with the Balikpapan Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan Lindung (KPHL) collaborated with the Meranti Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) to develop a compost house program located at Wana Wisata Meranti, Balikpapan.

Attended by Head of Section 3 BPSKL Kalimantan Marditya Bayu Hardianto, North Balikpapan Sub-District Head Muhamad Fadli Pathurrahman, the Head of the Wana Mitra Lestari Forest Farmers Group (Gapoktanhut) Syaifuddin, Head of KUPS Meranti Sukardi, Head of BCA KCU Balikpapan Jedida Lauw, Head of BCA Operational Support Region XI Balikpapan Linawaty Lim, and several other BCA representatives, the inauguration ceremony of the compost house was held at Wana Wisata Meranti, on Friday (30/8).

BCA EVP Corporate Communication and Social Responsibility Hera F Haryn said, “The compost house program that we run with KPHL Balikpapan not only reflects BCA's commitment to the environment, but also aims to encourage active community participation. Through this initiative, BCA empowers communities around the Meranti area to fulfill their role in sustainability practices. In addition to preserving the Meranti area to support the local tourism sector, this program is expected to provide added value by facilitating the development of high-quality and competitive compost production capacity.”

The compost house program in Wana Wisata Meranti is a continuation of the 1,500 tree seedling planting program called "Walk For Tree" in Wana Wisata Meranti area in July 2022. This compost house will be an integrated center for processing leaf fall waste from these trees as well as kiambang plants (water weeds) into organic fertilizer, as well as serving as a management office and education center on compost management.

As a continuation of the compost house program, BCA will also conduct a two-month compost management training for KUPS Meranti members. In addition, all compost produced will be quality tested in collaboration with Mulawarman University to ensure that the compost produced by KUPS Meranti meets established quality standards.

"We are pleased to welcome the positive initiative of BCA and KPHL Balikpapan to support the preservation of the ecosystem in the Meranti area and the development of the local economy. The presence of this compost house will help us overcome the problem of organic waste by converting it into compost, which is not only useful for increasing land productivity in the Meranti tourism area, but may also open opportunities for us to participate more in the organic fertilizer market in Indonesia," said KUPS Meranti Chairman Sukardi.

BCA through Bakti BCA has always actively collaborated with various stakeholders to contribute to individuals, communities and society. In addition to the compost house program, Bakti BCA under Bakti Lingkungan has implemented a number of initiatives, including orangutan conservation through the improvement of four artificial islands in the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) sanctuary, and sea turtle conservation by collaborating with the Banyuwangi Sea Turtle Foundation (BSTF) to research a room-scale artificial incubator (Intan), a sand-free sea turtle egg incubator that can hold up to 15,000 sea turtle eggs.

"We remain committed to ensuring that every Bakti BCA program we run has a sustainable positive impact. This is why we introduced the compost house at Wana Wisata Meranti as a follow-up to the tree planting program. Through Bakti Lingkungan, we are determined to expand our initiatives in responsible and sustainable natural resource management. We hope that this initiative will not only support the sustainability of the ecosystem in the Meranti tourism area, but also provide significant economic benefits to the local community," Hera concluded.

Picture Information 1:

Bakti BCA Supports Compost House Building Program at Wana Wisata Meranti, Balikpapan - Head of BCA KCU Balikpapan Jedida Lauw (left) symbolically hands over the compost house building donation to KUPS Meranti Chairman Sukardi (middle) and Head of Section 3 BPSKL Kalimantan Marditya Bayu Hardianto (right). The inauguration ceremony of the compost house was held at Wana Wisata Meranti, Balikpapan, on Friday (30/8). This activity is part of the Bakti BCA program, particularly in the Bakti Lingkungan pillar. Through this activity, Bakti BCA invites active participation from the community to take part in sustainability practices. Bakti BCA is committed to supporting the community in preserving the Meranti area, so that it can support the local tourism sector while providing added value by developing the capacity to produce high-quality and competitive compost.

Picture information 2 & 3:

#BuktiBaktiBCA for Environmental Conservation in Wana Wisata Meranti, Balikpapan - By supporting a compost house in Wana Wisata Meranti, Bakti BCA hopes to help the community overcome the problem of organic waste. This effort is also expected to have an impact on the community's economy through the production of quality compost. Under the Bakti Lingkungan pillar, Bakti BCA has undertaken a number of other initiatives, such as orangutan conservation by rehabilitating four artificial islands in the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation's (BOSF) sanctuary, releasing approximately 49 orang utans, and sea turtle conservation by collaborating with the Banyuwangi Sea Turtle Foundation (BSTF) in researching a room-sized artificial incubator (Intan Ruang). Intan Ruang is a sand-less sea turtle egg incubator that can hold 15,000 sea turtle eggs.