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Jakarta to draft regulation that fines retailers up to Rp 25 million for using plastic bags
The regulation is expected to take effect in January next year..
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Jakarta Environment Agency head Isnawa Adji said Governor Anies Baswedan would approve the draft later this month. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he Jakarta administration is drafting a gubernatorial regulation to ban single-use plastic bags, with a fine that would be up to Rp 25 million (US$1,726) for enterprises that provide single-use plastic bags.
Jakarta Environment Agency head Isnawa Adji said Governor Anies Baswedan would approve the draft later this month and that the regulation would take effect in January next year.
“Our plan is that, in the first six months after the regulation is legalized, we will educate and make an awareness campaign at retailers, traditional markets, schools and other places to prohibit the use of plastic bags,” he said on Tuesday at the Kramatjati traditional market in East Jakarta as reported by kompas.com.
Once the regulation is in full effect, the fines for plastic producers, retailers and merchants at traditional markets that still provide single-use plastic bags would be set at between Rp 5 million to Rp 25 million, Isnawa said.
According to the agency’s data, out of some 7,250 tons of waste produced daily in Jakarta, 14 percent of it are plastics and 1 percent of the plastics are non-degradable, single-use plastic bags.
“We want to promote the use of environmentally friendly bags at retailers and traditional markets. We, along with city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya, have encouraged 153 traditional markets to ban single-use plastic bags. We have started by exchanging their plastic bags with green bags,” he said. (fac)
