Schoolboy Tackles Waste as Government Targets Reform
Provided by: Mongabay|Published on: May 28, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Civics
Authors: Mongabay
Region: Asia
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article profiles Syazwan Luftan Riady, who at age 12 co-founded a youth environmental nonprofit called Wiskomunalian in Jember, East Java, Indonesia.
- The article also explains Indonesia's broader waste crisis and describes the overflowing landfills and a deadly landslide.
Teaching Materials
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students understand the impact of pollution on the environment.
Classroom Implementation:
- Use this article to inspire students to take action in units discussing climate change, waste, and environmental policy.
Extensions:
- Have students design their own school-based waste campaign.
- Ask students to compare grassroots, community-led action with top-down government reform and to evaluate the strengths and limits of each approach to the waste problem.
- Have students look for news articles about the landslide described in the article.
This article discusses an Indonesian man who founded a nonprofit as a kid to combat waste issues in Indonesia. The article goes into details of issues with waste in the country, how the government has responded, and what the nonprofit organization does. This is a great example of how kids can make meaningful change in their communities and of the power of grassroots organizations and efforts in addressing complex issues. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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