Jakarta, Aug. 26 -- Indonesia's Ministry of Environment is aiming to recycle 33,000 tons of plastic waste into renewable energy as part of efforts to reduce the country's mounting waste burden, which currently stands at nearly 140,000 tons per day.

Ade Palguna Ruteka, the ministry's Deputy for Waste Management, Hazardous and Toxic Materials, said during a discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday that industries are being urged to take part by converting leftover packaging into refuse-derived fuel (RDF).

"We are also encouraging industries that produce plastic to reclaim remaining packaging and use it to convert RDF into fuel for cement processing and other industries," Ruteka explained.

Indonesia currently has 16 cement factories that absorb p...