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Jakarta calls for plastic-free Idul Adha celebration
The Jakarta administration has issued a circular suggesting Muslims distribute the qurban (sacrifice) meat using eco-friendly packaging.
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A cattle vendor feeds his livestock that are on sale for the Idul Adha celebration in Jakarta on July 10. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
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common sight during the celebration of Idul Adha (the Islamic Day of Sacrifice) in nearly every mosque and community area in Jakarta may involve tons of kresek (single-use plastic bags) to contain the slaughtered meat to be distributed to residents.
Cheap and convenient, kresek have long been the go-to carrier for many residents on many occasions, including Idul Adha. However, for this year’s celebration, which is to fall on Aug. 11, different carriers may replace the popular plastic bags as environmental consciousness is being encouraged in a bid to up the fight against the plastic waste plaguing the capital city. Of the city's daily 7,500 tons of waste , 30 percent is plastic.
The Jakarta administration has issued a circular suggesting Muslims distribute the qurban (sacrifice) meat using eco-friendly packaging.
In the announcement disseminated by the Jakarta Environment Agency, the city urges people to replace plastic bags with alternatives like food containers, paper boxes, besek (containers made of plaited bamboo) or biodegradable bags. Residents are also urged to bring their own containers to the mosques to take home the meat.
The circular, signed by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on July 19, also asked clerics and qurban committees in local communities to take part in the green campaign.
“Please give religious understanding to the importance of preventing ecological damage through the use of eco-friendly meat containers,” Anies stated in the circular.
Responding to it, a member of the qurban committee in the Jami’ Nurul Iman Mosque in Palmerah, West Jakarta, Mahfud, said he welcomed the suggestion but also called for the city to provide the alternatives.
