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Paid Plastic Bag Policy |
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by Ida Ayu Mas Amelia Kusumaningtyas | 25-10-2018 02:25
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The Government of Indonesia in early 2016 launched a trial for paid plastic bag in all retail stores nationwide. It was a movement to reduce the use of plastic bag, which was a great action considering Indonesia’s high plastic bag consumption. The trial regulation was executed in hopes to help maintain and reduce the level of environmental damage caused by plastic bags. Consumers had to pay per plastic bag for Rp.200,- or approximately $0.014 USD with today’s currency. The price is actually too cheap from my perspective, since a glass of water is worth Rp.500,- back then.
Even though the price of a plastic bag was Rp.200,-, it was still a great start in controlling plastic bags consumption. Unfortunately it only lasted for seven months, from the end of February to the beginning of October 2016. The trial regulation was not strong enough to support the implementation of paid plastic bags. Customers could sue retail stores. It was because the trial was based on the Circular Letter of Director General of Waste Management in the Ministry of Environment. Therefore, if a Ministerial Regulation were released concerning paid plastic bags, then it would be strong enough to last forever. Rather than paid plastic bag, it would be even better if plastic bag could be banned. It has happened recently in Indonesia, but not nationally. For instance, the city of Balikpapan in East Kalimantan Province through local regulation has banned the use of plastic bag at any retail store in the city as stated in PERWAL No. 8 Year 2018. The regulation has been implemented effectively since July 2018 and it is still running up to now. Starting from 1st January 2019, the government of Makassar City in South Sulawesi will ban the use of plastic bags in any retail stores. As Balikpapan and Makassar set as examples in banning plastic bags, I hope that the national government in Indonesia will follow suit. But even if they can’t, at the very least I hope that the paid plastic bag regulation would be reenacted with a much more higher price. |
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4 Comments
Well written Ida.
The paid plastic policy should be enacted more strongly to help combat plastic pollution.
Posted 12-11-2018 20:57
Hello Ida
I remember reading about fine diminishing the moral pain brought about by bad actions as they play a role as a cost payment. Also with time people do get adjusted to the price and gets loosen about the factor. So it does seem that revising and improving of the current policy is needed:)
thanks for the report!
Posted 29-10-2018 16:21
Hello Ida, my country also has paid plastic bag policy but I think it is way too cheap for counting environmental damage or expense given out to the public when we think of individual plastic bag. However, from the perspective of consumers, it is truly troublesome to pay with small pennies but as people now use credit cards, it has become almost an useless policy to be :(
Revising the policy and adopting it effectively to people would make a huge difference as tons of plastic bags are thrown out to ocean day by day!
Thanks for your report and sharing your ideas :)
Posted 28-10-2018 22:49
Hey there Ida!
It is pleasing to know that there was a notion of charging consumers for plastic use, though it did not last long, it got the consumer's attention. I really do thing that a national ban of plastic use is of great benefit and will help reduce the volume of plastic currently present in our environment.
Thank you for reporting Ida, I also do hope that the notion to ban plastic materialises!
Posted 25-10-2018 15:38