065 / SMA Cahaya, Medan, North Sumatra
Herianto Tamba is a teacher at Cahaya public high school in Medan, North Sumatra. His first introduction with education for sustainability was started when he attended a teacher’s training at Eco Camp Bandung, West Java. He learned that environmental sustainability is a complex issue in Indonesia.
From that day, he is passionate to play an active role in the environmental sustainability. His profession as a teacher gave him the right position to start educating students about the natural environment and sustainability.
Medan is one of the biggest cities in Indonesia has waste management issues, including the school where Herianto teaches.
The Zero Waste School program from Green-Books.org has helped Herianto in inspiring his students and the school about the negative impact of plastic waste and how to reduce single use plastic on a daily basis. The school is now famous for its cleanliness and everyone takes responsibility for every waste they have created.
Herianto hopes that the awareness of reducing plastic waste doesn’t stop only in the school, but becoming an example to other schools and the surrounding neighbourhood.