Garbage is a classic environmental problem faced by local governments, especially in urban areas where the intensity level of waste disposal is very high. As a form of continuing to be committed to using waste as a source of energy, PIAT UGM in collaboration with the UGM Chemical Engineering Department held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the theme Problems and Solutions for Municipal Solid Waste Management. The FGD is a series of the 1st Annual Symposium on Solid Waste Refinery (1st ANSWER) which was held at Heritage Place, Yogyakarta, on November 7, 2018. "In this FGD, we did not only involve academics, but also government agencies and practitioners because It is hoped that the results of this discussion will produce a solution to solve the waste problem, especially in Yogyakarta, ”said Chandra Wahyu Purnomo, ST, M.Eng., D.Eng as the chairman of the Indonesia Solid Waste Forum (ISWF) when opening the FGD. "This is because the research conducted by academics will not be useful if it cannot be implemented in the environment," he added.

This Symposium is an annual event and now is becoming a part of conference series presented by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) collaborating with Indonesian Solid Waste Forum  (ISWF). ANSWER is one of the routine events of ISWF as the coordination platform all solid waste experts which mostly based on universities. ISWF aims to promote self-sustainable universities in treating their own solid waste. This goal is a difficult challenge for an educational institution since lack of funding as well as staffs in handling the MSW. Thus this annual event is become an important meeting point for all ISWF member institution as well as other experts for sharing their knowledge as well as problems in MSW treatment.

The problem of solid waste has become a critical problem in this country. Waste management technology has actually been developed a lot, especially by developed countries, including sanitary landfill, incineration, gasification and anaerobic digestion. One technology that is considered quite prospective for application in Indonesia is Refused Derived Fuel (RDF). RDF is a fuel generated from waste processing including residues from municipal waste recycling, industrial and commercial waste, sludge, hazardous waste from industry, biomass waste, according to predetermined industrial specifications to achieve high calorific values. In response to this, the PIATalk # 1 Webinar carries the theme: Potential Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) as an Alternative Fuel and National Solid Waste Solution. This activity was carried out on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 online through Google Meet, attended by 168 participants from various backgrounds.

Villages and small islands are currently having difficulty managing their waste with environmentally friendly principles. They end up throwing trash into the water or setting it on fire. Various efforts have been made, ranging from village-scale waste management by establishing a waste bank to making prototypes of waste processing equipment by research institutions and even the general public with makeshift workshops. It is very unfortunate that this critical condition is used by some people to make a profit by selling waste and waste processing equipment whose safety and reliability have not been tested. For the success of waste processing activities in rural areas, the roles of various parties, both from the community itself, academia and the government, are needed. Therefore, the PIATalk # 2 Webinar was held with the theme: Guide to Selection of Sustainable Rural Waste and Waste Management Technology. Innovative waste management needs to be developed from the village, so that waste management efforts are not only seen as social work but also able to provide added value to the community and the environment. This activity was held on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 and was attended by 104 participants from various backgrounds.