Bogor (13 December 2021). To reduce the generation of waste originating from single-use plastic bags, the Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement (GIDKP) collaborated with the Bogor City Government through the Bogor City Environmental Service and Perumda Pasar Pakuan Jaya and supported by the Canadian Embassy to launch the Plastic Free Market program in Bogor New Market and Kebon Kembang Market.

This program is run as a form of implementation and follow-up effort to Bogor Mayor Regulation Number 61 of 2018 concerning Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags. Through this Perwali, which has been in effect since 2018, the City of Bogor has reduced plastic bag waste generation by 600 kg per day from modern retail. Not quickly satisfied with this achievement, the City of Bogor continues to make efforts by targeting people’s markets as the next goal to reduce plastic waste. The single-use plastic-free pilot market program at Pasar Baru Bogor and Pasar Kebon Kembang will be implemented starting December 13, 2021.

The Bogor City Plastic Free Market Program includes various activities to approach traders and consumers in both markets. Activities carried out for traders include socializing the procedures for plastic-free transactions between traders and consumers, discussions with traders in both markets regarding replacements for single-use plastic, and how to create an ecosystem to support plastic-free shopping in the market. Apart from traders, this program also involves consumers, especially housewives and young people from Bogor, to provide information regarding the program on the timeline through the video “How to Shop Plastic Free in Bogor,” which can be accessed on the Plastic Bag Diet YouTube.

“People’s markets are local wisdom that emerged centuries before minimarkets, supermarkets, and other modern shops existed. People’s markets are still the heartbeat of the economy in Indonesia today. However, as technology develops, single-use plastic has emerged, which is claimed to make it very easy for consumers to shop at public markets, thereby forgetting about their local wisdom, such as shopping baskets made of rattan, leaf packages, and so on. For this reason, the Plastic Free Market Program was created to reduce plastic bag waste from the People’s Market. This program was also created to support Bogor Mayor Regulation Number 61 of 2018 concerning Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags. “The Bogor Plastic Free Market Program will trial restrictions on single-use plastic in the market as well as an educational tool to reduce single-use plastic,” said Adithiyasanti Sofia, Program Manager of the Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement.

Increasing awareness to reduce plastic has been carried out intensively in malls and supermarkets. Most supermarkets have adjusted to banning the use of plastic bags. Traditional markets have unique business models, and there is interaction with consumers, which requires strategy.

During the launch of the Bogor City Plastic Free Market Program, the Head of the Bogor City Environmental Service, Deni Wismanto, said that this program has its challenges, so cooperation between local government, business actors, and consumers is the determinant of the success of implementing the policy of using environmentally friendly shopping bags. “Reducing plastic waste is not something new for Bogor residents because Perwali No. 61 of 2018 has been implemented, which regulates plastic bag waste reduction in modern retail. However, the approach to reducing plastic waste in this market is different. The involvement of various parties needs to be increased so that this program can run “well and effectively measure the reduction in plastic waste in Bogor.” said Deni Wismanto.

Perumda Pasar Pakuan Jaya Bogor City, as the market manager in Bogor City, is very open and willing to implement the Plastic Free Market program in people’s markets in Bogor City. Muzakkir, the Main Director of Perumda Pasar Pakuan Jaya, said public awareness of reducing single-use plastic when shopping has started since the 2018 regulation in modern retail. It is nothing new to try plastic-free shopping in the market area. “Plastic waste generation is still quite large in Bogor, and the people’s market is one of the contributors to donating plastic bag waste. Therefore, we want to be one of the pioneers in providing solutions to reduce the use of plastic bags.” Said Muzakkir as Main Director of Perumda Pasar Pakuan Jaya.

Perumda Pasar Pakuan Jaya also provided full support with the start of plastic-free shopping trials at Pasar Baru Bogor and Pasar Kebon Kembang. “By conducting trials at two people’s markets in Bogor City, we can see and learn how to build the right ecosystem to reduce plastic waste in market areas. “Hopefully, other markets can also implement the same thing in the future, such as Kebon Kembang Market and Bogor Baru Market,” he added.

The Plastic Free Market Program in Bogor City also received an excellent response from the Mayor of Bogor, Bima Arya. After launching BOTAK (Bogor Anti Plastic Bags) in 2018, the Bogor City Government increased its target for reducing plastic waste after implementing it in modern retail.

“Now is the time for us to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle, especially to no longer use plastic bags in buying and selling activities at traditional markets. We must have the same enthusiasm to make Bogor City free from plastic waste! “This campaign must also involve all levels of society, not just the responsibility of DLH friends and activists,” explained Bima Arya, Mayor of Bogor City.

“Market Management must fully support this environmentally friendly shopping bag policy. Market managers must carry out appropriate outreach to all stakeholders in the market. It is hoped that kiosk owners will have the same enthusiasm so that they no longer provide plastic bags. “Then, the city government, through the Environmental Service, will monitor this activity to become the basis for establishing legal regulations for this program,” he added.

Based on a survey conducted at Kebon Kembang Market, traders can spend almost IDR 300,000 to buy large plastic bags totaling 40 thousand pcs and small plastic bags amounting to approximately 20 thousand pcs. In another case in Pasar Baru Bogor, the total number of large plastic bag purchases by all traders in one month can reach 244,909 pcs, and on average, one trader can spend up to Rp. 294,832/month only for large plastic bag purchases. To answer this problem, several pilot traders will later be given bags made from used paper for free for several days as a form of trial to feel the changes experienced and play a role in reducing single-use plastic bag waste.

It is hoped that using plastic bags will save traders costs in providing free plastic bags to consumers. Apart from that, it is expected not to cause plastic waste, which has now become a critical problem. The hope is that this program can measurably reduce the use of single-use plastic in People’s Markets and become a model that can be replicated for other people’s markets.

Media Contact:

Lutfi Alby – GIDKP Advocacy Staff

alby@dietkantongplastik.info – +628112441901