TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

In absence of regulation, citizens, businesses take lead in crusade against plastic

As the long-awaited regulation has not yet been issued, independent efforts by residents, organizations and business entities to reduce plastic use have started to gain traction. Some stores have begun to charge for plastic bags or simply not provide the bags at all to force customers to bring their own shopping bags.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post)
Premium
Jakarta
Tue, December 24, 2019

Share This Article

Change Size

In absence of regulation, citizens, businesses take lead in crusade against plastic Goats chew plastic waste piled up in a corner in Panggang Island in Thousand Islands regency on Sept. 18. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

L

ife in the sprawling city of Jakarta has always been synonymous with the plastic culture. Plastic bags to carry shopping from the stores, takeout deliveries, packaged household detergents, bottled beverages etc. are just a few of the hundreds of convenience items through which Jakartans contribute to plastic waste.

Although there has been growing awareness about the problems associated with single-use plastic bags Jakarta has not yet produced a strict policy to tackle the issue. 

Some cities across the archipelago have started to introduce restrictions on plastic bags at retailers. In places like Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; Bogor, West Java; Balikpapan, East Kalimantan; Jambi and several cities in Bali, policies have been introduced to ban plastic bags at retailers.

The Jakarta administration prepared a similar policy in 2018 in a draft gubernatorial degree limiting the pervasive use of single-use plastic bags in the city. The policy aimed to start with traditional markets and retailers across the capital. However, nearly two years after the city announced the plan, there has not been any significant progress on the decree.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan had previously promised to sign and issue the decree in August after previously claiming that he had instructed his subordinates to run a trial test as well as come up with sustainable alternatives for the bags.

Jakarta Environment Agency head Andono Warih said the draft was in its final stage. Once it is issued, the city would also follow through with a policy package on waste management, including a waste management roadmap and waste sorting in offices owned by the Jakarta administration.

Based on data from the agency, Jakarta produces around 7,500 tons of waste daily and plastics make up 1,900 to 2,400 tons of the waste, most of which is brought to the city’s only final dumpsite in Bantargebang landfill in neighboring city Bekasi, West Java.

to Read Full Story

  • Unlimited access to our web and app content
  • e-Post daily digital newspaper
  • No advertisements, no interruptions
  • Privileged access to our events and programs
  • Subscription to our newsletters
or

Purchase access to this article for

We accept

TJP - Visa
TJP - Mastercard
TJP - GoPay

Redirecting you to payment page

Pay per article

In absence of regulation, citizens, businesses take lead in crusade against plastic

Rp 29,000 / article

1
Create your free account
By proceeding, you consent to the revised Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Already have an account?

2
  • Palmerat Barat No. 142-143
  • Central Jakarta
  • DKI Jakarta
  • Indonesia
  • 10270
  • +6283816779933
2
Total Rp 29,000
{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.