PONTIANAK, The Kabar News—The Pontianak city administration is connecting student savings accounts with mini waste banks at schools, allowing children to convert sorted recyclable materials into money deposited in their accounts.

The city recorded 49,351 student accounts under the nationally supported Simpanan Pelajar (SimPel) program as of November 2026. Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said the administration would work with Bank Kalbar and local schools to broaden participation.

“We are also encouraging schools and teachers to improve students’ access to financial services,” Edi said after a SimPel and mini waste bank campaign at State Elementary School No. 15 in South Pontianak on Monday, Nov. 2.

The city also held a campaign at State Junior High School No. 22. Teachers and banking representatives attended the activities, which introduced students to saving and household waste sorting.

Edi said Pontianak wanted to reach students at public and private schools, Islamic schools and boarding schools.

“We will continue increasing the number. If possible, everyone should participate—not only public schools, but also private schools, madrasas and Islamic boarding schools,” he said.

Under the program, students sort recyclable waste at home before bringing it to school. Operators weigh the materials and calculate their value according to type. Bank Sampah Rosella then purchases the waste, and the proceeds go into the participating student’s SimPel account.

“We are promoting mini waste banks in schools. Children can bring waste from home, have it weighed and valued, and put the proceeds into their savings,” Edi said.

Certain types of plastic could fetch about Rp4,000 per kilogram, according to the Pontianak Environment Agency. Actual prices may change according to the material’s condition and recycling-market demand.

The agency said 35 of the 141 schools participating in Pontianak’s Adiwiyata environmental program already operated mini waste banks. Environment Agency head Syarif Usmulyono said the city would expand the system gradually because students needed practical instruction before collecting materials.

“We first teach the children how to sort waste. They can then take the organized materials to school and turn them into savings,” he said.

Usmulyono added that Pontianak had facilities capable of processing selected plastic waste into products such as tables and construction blocks.

The school program could therefore reduce the amount of mixed waste sent to temporary collection sites, although the city has not yet published figures showing how much waste participating schools have diverted.

The Financial Services Authority defines SimPel as a low-requirement savings product designed to introduce children to formal banking and personal financial management.

OJK data published in 2025 showed that 58.32 million Indonesian students, or nearly 88 percent of the national student population, held accounts through SimPel and related student-saving initiatives. Their combined deposits exceeded Rp34 trillion.

Pontianak recently received the 2026 TPAKD Award as Kalimantan’s best municipal-level regional financial-access team. The city’s new initiative links financial inclusion work with environmental education.

Its success, however, will depend on regular waste collection, transparent pricing and accurate transfers into student accounts. Schools must also keep teaching children that saving and waste sorting are long-term habits, not merely one-off campaign activities.