A troubling environmental and public health crisis has emerged in Surabaya, East Java, centered around what has been termed the “toxic tofu” situation. In several areas, including Surabaya and neighboring regions like Tropodo in Sidoarjo, some small-scale tofu producers have been using plastic waste as fuel for their stoves. This practice, while economically motivated, has severe consequences for both human health and the environment.
Rising Costs, Cheaper Alternatives For Profit Margins
The burning of plastic waste has become common among these tofu factories due to several factors. Rising costs of traditional fuels such as firewood have pushed small businesses to seek cheaper alternatives to maintain their profit margins.
Plastic waste, often low-grade and sometimes imported from Western countries under the guise of recycling. This provides a readily available and inexpensive fuel source. Furthermore, Indonesia faces significant waste management challenges, and in many cases, burning plastic is seen as a quick solution to reduce mounting waste.
Health Risks And Beyond
The dangers associated with this practice are profound. Burning plastic releases a range of toxic chemicals into the air, including dioxins, furans, heavy metals, and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Prolonged exposure to these emissions can cause respiratory illnesses, cancer, immune system damage, neurological disorders, and developmental issues. Workers in the tofu factories, as well as residents living nearby, are at particularly high risk.
Beyond health risks, there is also the danger of food contamination. Studies have detected elevated levels of dioxins in chicken eggs in affected villages, raising serious concerns that tofu itself could become contaminated through exposure to toxic fumes and ash during production.
Environmental pollution is another major issue, with plastic ash contaminating soil and water sources. This is further threatening local ecosystems and the food chain.
Awareness and Government’s Acknowledgment
Environmental groups and media outlets have brought international attention to the situation, publishing reports detailing the contamination and associated health risks.
Although the Indonesian government initially downplayed these findings, growing pressure has led some officials to acknowledge the problem, emphasizing that open burning of waste is illegal. Nevertheless, enforcement remains weak, and the lack of affordable, sustainable fuel alternatives continues to be a significant obstacle.
In response to public outrage and declining sales, some tofu producers have reportedly pledged to return to using wood fuel, though the extent and consistency of these changes remain unclear. International concern has also increased, particularly regarding the export of plastic waste from developed to developing countries, where it is often mismanaged and burned.
In conclusion, the practice of burning plastic waste for tofu production in Surabaya and surrounding areas poses serious threats to human health, food safety, and the environment. The release of toxic chemicals not only endangers factory workers and residents but also risks contaminating the very food products being produced. While awareness of the issue has grown, concerted efforts and sustainable solutions are urgently needed to eliminate this hazardous practice and promote safer, more responsible approaches to food production and waste management.
Image— Screenshot/Andrew Fraser via Youtube
