A new investigation has revealed a troubling connection between imported waste from wealthier countries and contaminated food production in Indonesia.
The Guardian reported that piles of foreign plastic are being burned as fuel to power tofu factories in a small village in East Java — and the impact on local health and the environment is raising major red flags.
What's happening?
Every day, about 60 tofu factories in the village of Tropodo fire up furnaces using a mix of wood, coconut husks, and discarded plastic, including waste from Australia, the United States, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. According to The Guardian, plastic scraps fuel the production of over 66 tons of tofu sold across the region, including in Indonesia's second-largest city, Surabaya.
Factory owners say the shift to plastic is purely economic. "We use plastic because it is cheaper," one owner told The Guardian, choosing to remain anonymous. Another factory owner, Wahyuni, explained that a truckload of plastic costs just $13, while wood runs 10 times higher.
Experts warn the real cost is far steeper. Lab tests by environmental group Ecoton found microplastics in tofu samples from local markets, with toxic ash from burned plastic contaminating the air and even entering the food chain through eggs from free-range chickens.
"It's very easy to find trash from rich countries [at the factories], especially the United States and Australia," said Ecoton's Daru Setyorini, per The Guardian.
Why is this practice concerning?
Burning plastic releases toxic pollutants that threaten human health and the surrounding environment. Research has linked exposure to microplastics and dioxins with respiratory issues, hormonal disruptions, reproductive problems, and developmental risks in children. One 2024 study found that eating just half an egg from chickens near Tropodo's tofu factories could expose someone to 48 times the safe daily limit of dioxins.
This issue also highlights a much bigger problem: how waste from wealthier nations ends up harming communities abroad. Indonesia imported over 200,000 tons of plastic waste in 2024, much of it embedded in shipments of scrap paper. Although the country introduced a ban on plastic waste imports this year, weak enforcement and "waste colonialism," as Ecoton describes it, mean the problem persists.
What's being done — and how can I help?
Indonesia's environment ministry has acknowledged the practice is dangerous and says it's working to enforce the ban. But activists say real change will come only when wealthier countries stop exporting their trash under the guise of recycling.
On a personal level, reducing plastic use helps curb the global waste stream. Opting for reusable containers, choosing plastic-free packaging, and supporting businesses committed to better waste practices can make a real difference.
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