(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)" border="0" height="341" width="512">(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Reducing plastic bags use is yet to be a habit but people are slowly catching on.

Sixty-five-year-old Lidya Listianti always takes her own plastic bags whenever she shops at the market near her house in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

“I prefer to use my own plastic bags because I know they are clean. Plastic bags provided by the traders at the wet market can be very dirty,” said Lidya.

Making effort for conservation and sustainability was not the first thing she had in mind when she started reusing the plastic bags two or three times before turning them into trash bags. It was more about hygiene.

“I have started using cloth bags for shopping at supermarkets. I started when my children asked me to use cloth bags instead, but now I’ve got to like it because it is more practical as it can carry more items,” said the mother of two.

Thirty-two-year old Rully Wiryadisastra confessed she has yet to get a cloth bag and stop taking plastic bags from supermarkets.

“I still take the items in plastic bags the supermarket employees gave me because I can use the bag for other purposes,” she said.
A shopper carries a green back in Essex, Britain. (Bloomberg/Graham Barclay)
Other than using the bag for trash, she uses them to wrap stuff in storage to keep it safe from moisture and dust.

“I also use used plastic bags to wrap my clothing and gadgets when I travel. Besides, I only go to supermarket that uses degradable bags,” she said.

In West Jakarta, 48-year-old Sri Ariani takes both her own cloth bags and plastic bags for her shopping in to reduce her consumption of plastic.

“I take turns with cloth bags or plastic bags, but I mainly use the cloth one. There are times when I shop at supermarket when I let the salesclerk put the items in a plastic bag because I don’t have enough cloth bags,” Sri said.

She had been reusing plastic bags for five years and using cloth bags for the past two, saying it was a small move to help the society and the environment. “Reducing plastic bags use is the least I can do for the environment,” she said.

A number of retailer chains and supermarkets have begun to provide degradable plastic bags in the last few years.

In 2006, giant retailer Carrefour Indonesia swapped its regular plastic for degradable which it claims degrade within two years.
A booth displays products made from recycled packaging during the Indonesia Environment Week at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
“Our customers have developed awareness about the environment and we decided to change to degradable plastic to add value to our company,” Satria Hamid, the company’s head of public affairs, said recently.

Carrefour provides degradable plastic bags for free and offers reusable bags for purchase.

“Degradable plastic is significantly more expensive than regular plastic, but it is important to win value points from our customers,” Satria said, adding that the company covered the cost of plastic bag with efficiency in other areas.

Verena Puspawardani, campaign coordinator of the Climate & Energy Program at conservation organization WWF Indonesia, said changing people’s habits was the most important thing that could happen.

“We have to admit that degradable and bio-degradable plastic bags are at least moves in the right direction from businesses, but they are still doing nothing to discourage use of plastic bags, which is a more important point,” Verena said.

WWF Indonesia is teaming up with Greeneration Indonesia, LeafPlus and the Ciliwung Institute to put pressure on Jakarta administration to support an online petition for a plastic free day.

The administration responded with Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama last month declared June “no plastic month”.

(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Reducing plastic bags use is yet to be a habit but people are slowly catching on.

Sixty-five-year-old Lidya Listianti always takes her own plastic bags whenever she shops at the market near her house in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

'€œI prefer to use my own plastic bags because I know they are clean. Plastic bags provided by the traders at the wet market can be very dirty,'€ said Lidya.

Making effort for conservation and sustainability was not the first thing she had in mind when she started reusing the plastic bags two or three times before turning them into trash bags. It was more about hygiene.

'€œI have started using cloth bags for shopping at supermarkets. I started when my children asked me to use cloth bags instead, but now I'€™ve got to like it because it is more practical as it can carry more items,'€ said the mother of two.

Thirty-two-year old Rully Wiryadisastra confessed she has yet to get a cloth bag and stop taking plastic bags from supermarkets.

'€œI still take the items in plastic bags the supermarket employees gave me because I can use the bag for other purposes,'€ she said.

A shopper carries a green back in Essex, Britain. (Bloomberg/Graham Barclay)
Other than using the bag for trash, she uses them to wrap stuff in storage to keep it safe from moisture and dust.

'€œI also use used plastic bags to wrap my clothing and gadgets when I travel. Besides, I only go to supermarket that uses degradable bags,'€ she said.

In West Jakarta, 48-year-old Sri Ariani takes both her own cloth bags and plastic bags for her shopping in to reduce her consumption of plastic.

'€œI take turns with cloth bags or plastic bags, but I mainly use the cloth one. There are times when I shop at supermarket when I let the salesclerk put the items in a plastic bag because I don'€™t have enough cloth bags,'€ Sri said.

She had been reusing plastic bags for five years and using cloth bags for the past two, saying it was a small move to help the society and the environment. '€œReducing plastic bags use is the least I can do for the environment,'€ she said.

A number of retailer chains and supermarkets have begun to provide degradable plastic bags in the last few years.

In 2006, giant retailer Carrefour Indonesia swapped its regular plastic for degradable which it claims degrade within two years.

A booth displays products made from recycled packaging during the Indonesia Environment Week at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
'€œOur customers have developed awareness about the environment and we decided to change to degradable plastic to add value to our company,'€ Satria Hamid, the company'€™s head of public affairs, said recently.

Carrefour provides degradable plastic bags for free and offers reusable bags for purchase.

'€œDegradable plastic is significantly more expensive than regular plastic, but it is important to win value points from our customers,'€ Satria said, adding that the company covered the cost of plastic bag with efficiency in other areas.

Verena Puspawardani, campaign coordinator of the Climate & Energy Program at conservation organization WWF Indonesia, said changing people'€™s habits was the most important thing that could happen.

'€œWe have to admit that degradable and bio-degradable plastic bags are at least moves in the right direction from businesses, but they are still doing nothing to discourage use of plastic bags, which is a more important point,'€ Verena said.

WWF Indonesia is teaming up with Greeneration Indonesia, LeafPlus and the Ciliwung Institute to put pressure on Jakarta administration to support an online petition for a plastic free day.

The administration responded with Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama last month declared June '€œno plastic month'€.

A batako brick made from Styrofoam. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
The administration is asking 74 shopping centers participating in the Jakarta Great Sale (JGS) festival 2013 to require customers to pay for plastic bags, which are usually provided for free, to support the Pay for Plastic campaign.

Retailers have expressed  reluctance over the call, saying that the  administration should take time to educate the public on the program first to prevent protests, fearing that the abrupt policy would ignite protests among customers and lead them to blame retailers for taking advantage of them.

Verena said a reusable bag needs to be used at least 313 times to be effective in reducing plastic bags.

According conservation groups, degradable plastic bags are not much better than regular plastic bags. Degradable bags still poison the soil and are not easily decomposed, although it is designed to break down to particles within a few years.

'€œMost Indonesian households already have reusable bags at home, but they are rarely used because people forget to bring them shopping,'€ she said.

The campaign

Diet Kantong Plastik '€” which literally means plastic bag diet '€” is a nation-wide campaign supported by Greeneration Indonesia, Green Student Movement, the Indonesian Forum (Walhi) and Earth Hour WWF Indonesia for the Environment.

The campaign, launched two years ago, encourages people to be wiser in using bags. The campaign is open to collaboration with communities and organizations to spread the message.

They are inviting people to join their #Pay4Plastic cause and asking people to sign petition at change.org against retailers and supermarkets giving away plastic bags for free. More than 6,900 people have signed.

They also advise people bring their own cloth bags when shopping and to use plastic bags repeatedly until they are worn out.

Plastic bags are being used excessively poisoning the soil, clog water channels, and suffocate animal.

The campaign group is not against the use of plastic bag '€“ a total ban which, they acknowledge, would have significant social and economic effect '€“ but to use bags wisely.

Verena Puspawardani of WWF Indonesia said that the campaign'€™s short-term target was to teach people about sensible use of bags and to encourage a change of habit.

'€œThe long-term goal is to be able to put awareness on a higher level, resulting in a government regulation or policy about reducing the use of plastic bags,'€ Verena said.

Online:
dietkantongplastik.info
dietkantongplastik1@gmail.com
facebook.com/DietKantongPlastik
twitter.com/idDKP
change.org/id/petisi/carrefour-hero-hypermart-dan-supermarket-lainnya-kantong-plastik-jangan-gratis