A number of regions across the country have already imposed a similar ban -- South Kalimantan’s Banjarmasin, East Kalimantan’s Balikpapan, Bali’s Denpasar and Jakarta’s satellite city of Bogor in West Java.

“In general, business players support this policy, but indeed there are some who have asked for it to be postponed,” Jakarta Environment Agency head Andono Warih said in a statement on Tuesday. “This policy actually reduces their cost of providing single-use plastic bags.”

The policy, he said, was instrumental in reducing plastic waste disposed of at Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java -- the end point of Jakarta’s waste, which may only have one year left before reaching its maximum capacity.

“Hopefully, this will increase awareness and make people use single-use plastic bags more wisely and carry more environmentally friendly reusable bags,” he said.

The Jakarta administration has disseminated the policy to the managements of 85 shopping centers, more than 2,000 convenience stores and 158 traditional markets across the city, as well as the public, Andono said.

The policy -- Gubernatorial Regulation No. 142/2019 -- takes effect six months after its issuance on Dec. 31, 2019. The plan to issue such a regulation had been in the pipeline since 2018. It was put on hold as Anies wanted to include a provision on substitute materials to replace plastic bags.

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