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We have tried recycling and we are thinking about reducing, so we might as well go the extra mile by replacing the one thing that has so long indulged us.

"Research into the making of biodegradable plastic started in the 1970s. And now we are able to mass produce it," said Kemal Taruc, director of environmental group Dana Mitra Lingkungan (DML).

Since early last year, DML has been marketing a more environmentally friendly form of plastic: Ecoplas. Composed of polymer and powdered cassava waste, Ecoplas comes in different qualities, according to how quickly it can decay.

"Some types can fully decompose in a month, others need between three and six months. The higher the amount of organic materials it contains, the higher the price," Kemal explained. "It still contains polymer, but in a safe proportion, which is actually good for the soil as polymer can help bind the much-needed minerals for fertility *of the soil*."

And Indonesians' price sensitivity is the current challenge to wider use of Ecoplas.

"Currently, the price of Ecoplas still stands some 10 percent to 15 percent higher than regular plastic bags," Kemal said.

For Indonesian producers and retailers, that kind of price difference matters even though in the long run it is healthier for the environment. Yet domestically, Ecoplas has yet to find widespread acceptance as a replacement for conventional plastic, even as the company that produces it supplies it in bulk to US clients such as Nike and WalMart.

In Indonesia, it is only used by several hotels as laundry bags and a couple of other smaller clients, Kemal said, while wider retail distribution of the product is hampered by the limited sizes of orders.

In the long run, the company that produces Ecoplas plans to venture only into the upstream production of biodegradable plastic pellets and let others jump on the wagon to start distributing end-user products, he added.

It is perhaps an alternative that could be developed with the push of the recently issued law on waste management that demand producers that use plastic packaging take greater responsibility for their products' waste.

"There will be incentives for those producing with biodegradable plastic," said the Office of the Environment Minister's deputy for pollution control, Gempur Adnan.

But research into biodegradable plastic has not reached a level where we can start producing food-grade Ecoplas, Kemal said.

For the replacement of plastic bottles, perhaps an imported idea could be further developed.

US-based Brand Image has recently launched its innovative paper bottle. With certain engineering, paper pulp is turned into bottles sturdy and water-resistant enough to contain beverages. Another plus is that they can decompose more quickly than plastic bottles, which require a millennium to be fully digested by the soil.

Some have raised concerns that using paper does not mean it is fully environmentally friendly as it would increase wood consumption, but the design has so far been acknowledged as the most innovative of its kind. It has received the International Design Excellence Award.

Speaking of design, if replacing plastic is still not feasible, playing with the shape of a plastic bottle can at least reduce the amount of plastic needed, and hence reduce the amount of waste itself.

Multinational company Nestle has launched its Eco-Shape bottle, which is 15 percent lighter than its previous plastic bottles. The thinner material is complemented by the bottle's more arching, corseted silhouette, which allows it more structure to hold its contents.

With the new design, Nestle claims to have reduced its annual polymer consumption for bottles by 65 million pounds.

All the above efforts to rethink the use of plastic containers seem to shout one key phrase: Think outside the box!

- JP Anissa S. Febrina

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