RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Association of Religious Counselors launched the Eco-Theology Waste Sorting Movement on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Organizers held the event at the Ni’matul Ittihad Mosque Auditorium in South Jakarta.

Participants marked the movement through tree planting activities and symbolic handovers of separated waste bins. Interfaith religious counselors, local officials, and community leaders attended the event.

Director of Islamic Information at Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, Muchlis M. Hanafi, said environmental care reflects religious responsibility. He stressed that protecting nature should become part of daily spiritual practice.

Muchlis encouraged religious counselors to support Jakarta’s mandatory waste sorting policy introduced earlier this year. The regulation requires residents to separate waste into four different categories.

He said the movement aligns with Indonesia’s environmental resilience agenda and sustainable development efforts. The program also supports eco-theology initiatives promoted by Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar.

Moreover, Muchlis highlighted food waste as a growing global issue affecting environmental sustainability and household consumption habits. He cited a United Nations Environment Programme report about massive annual food waste worldwide.

He said many food waste problems originate from everyday habits often considered insignificant by the public. He encouraged religious counselors to educate communities about responsible consumption and reducing excessive waste.

“Eco-theology teaches that humanity’s relationship with God must be reflected through good relations with nature. Piety should not stop in worship rituals, but also appear in how people treat the environment,” he said.

The organizers included the movement in the IPARI anniversary series themed “IPARI Caring for Indonesia: Spiritual, Literacy, and Eco-Theology Movement.” They hope religious counselors can strengthen solution-based outreach on environmental and waste management issues.