T

he road to hell is supposedly paved with good intentions, and one of these may very well be the halfhearted move by authorities, retailers and consumers to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Community groups have adopted the theme as part of their pro-green movements, while the Jakarta administration and key businesses have pledged a plastic bag-free city by 2011.

However, the campaign is proving highly ineffective.

Several retailers now offer their customers reusable bags - at a price - but have not adequately trained their checkout clerks to promote these bags over free plastic bags.

For Akbari, a private-sector employee, the whole thing is an exercise in futility.

"I often have to remind the clerks that I've brought my own bags with me and tell them to only use plastic bags for the frozen stuff," he says.

Akbari began bringing his own shopping bags a year ago, concerned about the dangers posed to the environment by plastic bags.

Plastics take notoriously long to biodegrade, up to thousands of years, and thus pose a threat to the environment.

About 14 percent of the 2,925 tons of inorganic waste generated daily in Jakarta comprises plastic, data from the city sanitation agency shows.

Irawan D. Kadarman, the corporate affairs director at Carrefour, the country's biggest retailer, says phasing out plastic is trickier than it seems.

"We don't want to alienate our customers by suddenly not providing plastic bags anymore," he says.

He adds Carrefour has since three years ago tried selling to customers an alternative in the form of linen bags and more durable plastic bags.

"These thicker plastic bags can be used repeatedly," Irawan says.

"If they break, we offer the customer a free replacement."

Last week, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo signed an agreement with the local chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to phase out the use of plastic bags by 2011.

Carrefour's Irawan says if the administration is really intent on doing this, then the first thing it needs to do is educate people on the concept.

"It'll require tight cooperation between businesses and the administration," he points out.

Danny Kojongian, corporate communications director at PT. Matahari Putra Prima Tbk., the parent company of retailer Hypermart, agrees the key step is to raise public awareness.

He says the company has tried to set an example by cutting down its use of plastic bags to the bare minimum.

"Some of our department stores or specialty stores even use recycled paper bags," he adds.

Environmental activist Evelyn Suleeman welcomes the good intentions, but says there still needs to be firm action from the administration to encourage a change in consumers' mindset.

She adds the campaign must be concerted and involve all stakeholders - including the administration, producers, retailers and consumers - and must be backed by a public awareness program.

"The stakeholders should sit together to hash out how they plan to reach their goal, such as what alternative to offer in place of plastic bags, and whether it would be affordable for both retailers and consumers," Evelyn says.

The city, however, has not issued a regulation on the matter.

"The agreement between the governor and businesses will be followed by a gubernatorial decree on 3R *Reduce, Reuse and Recycle*, aimed at retailers as well as consumers," says Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) chairwoman Peni Susanti.

"To date we've only worked with producers for our Jakarta Green program, in which we encourage them to recycle plastic bottles and other packaging.

"We're now looking to get retailers on board, given that they use an awful lot of plastic bags," she adds.

However, Indonesian Olefin and Plastic Industry Association deputy head Budi Susanto Sadiman says the administration is jumping on the green bandwagon in outlawing a "cheap, efficient and energy-saving product" like plastic.

"If people stopped using plastic bags, what would they use?" he says.

"Paper bags? That would mean cutting down trees, which is definitely not a green move."

The national production of plastic bags is about 2.6 million tons a year, 30 percent of it going to major retailers, Budi says.

He suggests the city administration improve its waste management system rather than stop the use of plastic bags.

"They should try calling on Jakarta residents to separate their trash, organic from inorganic," he says.

"This would encourage recycling, which in turn would create jobs."

The association represents 8,000 plastic producers across Indonesia, 80 percent of which are home industries and 2,800 of which are located in Jakarta, Banten and West Java.