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Religious groups join fight against plastic waste
In the fight against plastic waste, religion is now playing a greater role, with religious institutions encouraging the city’s residents to reduce their dependence on single-use plastic bags
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span>In the fight against plastic waste, religion is now playing a greater role, with religious institutions encouraging the city’s residents to reduce their dependence on single-use plastic bags.
The secretary of the Nahdlatul Ulama central board’s (PBNU) Bahtsul Masail (Discussing Problems) forum, Sarmidi Husna, said it was high time for Muslims to be more concerned about single-use plastic bags, as they contributed to pollution in the city’s main bodies of water, such as the Ciliwung River, which was filled with trash, and Jakarta Bay, where all the waste thrown into the river ended up.
“Seeing those conditions, the PBNU during our national meeting in February also began to look at religious arguments,” Sarmidi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He said that the NU, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, had come to the conclusion that littering with single-use plastic bags was haram for Muslims as it damaged the environment both in the short term and long term.
“In Islam, it is forbidden for humans to wreak havoc on Earth after God has perfected it,” Sarmidi said, referring to Al-Quran Al-Araf verse 85.
“Starting from there, we see that single-use plastic waste has endangered the environment and other beings. For example, it was found that fish can swallow plastics.”
Sarmidi urged the authorities to impose a ban on plastics to encourage residents and businesses to reduce their dependency on the environmentally harmful material.
Using religion to reduce the amount of kresek (single-use plastic bags) was endorsed by the Jakarta administration. During Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) on Aug. 11, the administration promoted the use of ecofriendly packaging to distribute meat for qurban (animal sacrifice), such as besek (plaited bamboo containers) and reusable household containers.
Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) testimony and integrity of creation secretary Jimmy Sormin said environmental protection had been part of the church’s agenda since it agreed to reduce plastics at the PGI’s 2014 national convention.
“We decided that environmental degradation was one of the central issues, not just on the sidelines,” Jimmy said.
He said that the PGI had advised Christians and churches to adopt the principle of frugality, both spiritually and materially, which in turn could lead to a reduction in plastic use.
The PGI regularly instructs its churches to hold sermons about environmental issues.
Some churches, Jimmy said, attempted to cut down on plastic by adopting environmentally friendly waste treatment systems or using recycled products for Christmas trees and decorations. Churches have also encouraged congregants to bring tumblers instead of plastic water bottles to events.
Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI) environmental and resources department head Astono Chandra Dana said Hinduism adhered to the concept of Tri Hita Karana, which called for harmonious relations between humans and the environment.
“Humans should protect the environment, especially the Earth for the living, so it will remain verdant, sustainable and free of things that could threaten or pollute its existence,” Astono said.
He said reducing plastic waste and protecting the environment was supposed to be a way for humans to be harmonious with God, other humans and the environment.
“It should be the responsibility of everyone on Earth to care for the Earth by reducing or even eliminating materials that could pollute the environment like plastics,” Astono said.
Although the PHDI has yet to officially instruct that Indonesian Hindus reduce the use of plastic, its religious leaders are accustomed to teaching their congregations about the dangers of plastic waste on the environment.
The use of kresek is common in many areas in the country, including Jakarta. Based on data from the Jakarta Environment Agency, the city produces around 7,200 tons of waste daily, with 1 percent of the waste made up of single-use plastic bags.
Records from the Indonesia Plastic Bags Diet movement show that Jakarta uses up to 300 million pieces of single-use plastics in a year and generates 357,000 tons of plastic waste each year.
The Jakarta administration has mulled over banning single-use plastic bags, with the agency having drafted up a rule on the matter, following in the footsteps of other cities such as Bogor in West Java and Denpasar in Bali.
However, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has yet to sign the regulation, arguing that the draft still needed several revisions regarding sanctions and alternative options for consumers and business players.
