Jakarta seems serious about tackling its plastic waste problem, with the provincial government drafting a bill that could significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic bags (known locally by the onomatopoeia kresek).
Following up on his announcement last month that the provincial government was looking to ban kreseks in the capital, Jakarta Environmental Agency Head Isnawa Adji said that they are now drafting a bill for a gubernatorial decree that could see huge fines for those who provide plastic bags.
“One of the points is the enforcement of a fine ranging from IDR5-25 million (US$350-1,740),” Isnawa told reporters yesterday, as quoted by Kompas.
Isnawa added that the fine would specifically be targeted towards plastic producers, retailers, as well as sellers at traditional markets.
Governor Anies Baswedan is reportedly set to sign the bill before the end of the month, passing it into law as early as January 2019. However, Isnawa said there will be a six-month transition period in which the government will raise awareness about the kresek ban.
In 2016, the Indonesian government carried out a temporary trial policy for mandatory charges levied on customers for plastic bag use. In Jakarta, the charge was a mere IDR200 (US$0.014) per plastic bag. After the trial ended, most retailers decided not to adopt the policy save for a select few who still charge around IDR200 per plastic bag.
Bogor, a city of 1 million located just outside of Jakarta, has taken an important step in the country’s war against plastic waste by becoming the first city in Indonesia to officially ban plastic bags at all modern retail stores and shopping centers while also working to expand the ban into traditional markets.
Indonesia holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s second largest producer of plastic marine waste in the world, behind only China. A great deal of that waste comes from the 9.8 billion (!) plastic bags the country is estimated to use each year.
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