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New narratives on marine debris
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People living near Matahari Terbit Beach in Sanur, Bali, work together to clear trash, mainly plastic bottles and food packaging, from the beach. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
I
ndonesia has a major marine debris problem on its hands. It has held a reputation as being the second-biggest marine polluter in the world, responsible for around 200,000 tons of plastic waste per year, as reported in a 2015 study by Jenna Jambeck.
However, despite its bad record on marine pollution, Indonesia has since shown its firm commitment to cleaning up its waters. As per the National Action Plan on Marine Debris launched in June 2017, the government has set an ambitious target of 70 percent waste reduction by 2025.
Still, such a commitment is not without challenges. At the heart of Indonesia’s strategic interventions for addressing marine debris is behavioral change focusing on waste management. Prioritizing campaigns to inspire individuals to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste is thus essential in tackling marine debris.
A list of campaign initiatives on marine debris initiated by both the government and NGOs has been recorded. “Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik” (plastic bag diet movement) is one of them.
Started in 2013, it calls on central and local governments to enact a regulation to reduce plastic bag use, retailers to actively encourage customers to refuse plastic bags and consumers to bring their own reusable grocery bags when they go shopping. Similarly, the “No Straw Movement” initiated by youth organization Divers Clean Action has been active in spreading awareness to stop using plastic straws.
Other popular campaign activities on marine debris are beach cleanups. In August last year, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry in collaboration with NGOs and local government organized a coastal cleanup called “Menghadap Laut” (facing the sea) in 19 places. Involving more than 20,000 volunteers, it collected around 360 tons of waste.
Similarly, Bali hosted “One Island One Voice”, an annual event initiated by youth-driven social initiative Bye Bye Plastic Bag.
