In less than a year, the country has taken a step back in plastic waste management, as retailers have stopped charging for plastic shopping bags.

Kezia Grace Nauli, an 18-year-old university student, was puzzled when finding out that a plastic bag at the supermarket or other retail stores would no longer cost her.

“Rp 200 [15 US cents] per bag might seem like nothing, but I do think it has an impact on reducing plastic waste,” she said on Monday.

The decision to scrap the plastic bag charge was made by the Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo), effective since last Saturday.

Its move goes against the government’s call to reduce plastic waste, as the latter previously urged retailers to charge customers for plastic bags.

The idea to charge for plastic bags was put forward in the wake of the government’s goal to cut 1.9 million tons of waste from the 68 million tons of waste projected in 2019.

In 2015 alone, the country produced 64 million tons of waste, with plastic shopping bags accounting for 14 percent of the trash, according to data from the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

The government’s call to reduce waste was followed up by a ministry circular requiring retailers to charge Rp 200 per plastic bag, during a trial period from Feb. 21 until May.

The circular’s policy was enforced in 23 cities. In June, the ministry announced the trial would continue until it issued a regulation in July and expanded the coverage to 514 cities and regencies.

However, no regulation has been issued and Aprindo claims the absence of one has given various parties, especially in the regions, the chance to intervene and complain to retailers over the fee.

“Regional administrations, civil societies and police officials have investigated some of our members, trying to determine the legal basis of the plastic bag charge and urging us to free the public from paying. The biggest public objection has been voiced in Palembang [South Sumatra province],” Aprindo chairman Roy N. Mandey told a press conference on Monday.

Aprindo also attributes the public’s objection to uneven implementation of the policy, with regional administrations in 10 cities setting the fee at Rp 1,500 to Rp 10,000 per bag.

The objection contradicts data from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and the ministry itself that shows public acceptance of the policy.

In March, a YLKI survey revealed 26.8 percent of customers accepted the policy and understood why they were being charged, while the ministry’s survey — from February to May — said 87.1 percent of customers brought their own bags when shopping.

Retailers say they will continue giving plastic bags for free until the ministry issues a regulation. “We support the government’s pay-for-plastic policy, but we just need a clear regulation. We don’t seek profit from it because we use the money to buy plastic again,” Roy said.

The ministry says it plans to issue a regulation in November.

Tuti H. Mintarsih, the ministry’s director general for dangerous toxic material and waste management, said her side had prepared a draft and shared its content with regional administrations.

Separately, the Olefin, Aromatic and Plastics Industry Association (Inaplas) has challenged the ministry’s waste data. Inaplas says total plastic bag production per year only reaches 1 million, instead of 9 million that makes up for 14 percent of total waste.

Inaplas business development chairman Budi Sadiman estimated that plastic bag production dropped 25 to 35 percent in the first half owing to the pay-for-plastic policy, among other factors.

“We agree with this pay-for-plastic program, but it would be better if the government reduced waste by fixing its waste management system first and foremost,” he said.

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