Jakarta, 9 March 2024. As part of the series of activities of the Resik Competition (Redefining Solutions on Plastic Pollution through Integrated Policy and Knowledge), Dietplastik Indonesia and 30 selected participants conducted Inspirational Tour activities to the Bogor area. In this activity, they will do a river walk in the Ciliwung River area and also visit one of the social enterprises aiming to realize agricultural production, distribution, and consumption more equitably and environmentally friendly, namely Kecipir. Still, in the spirit of the National Waste Awareness Day celebration, the Inspirational Tour aimed to give the competition participants a firsthand look at the state of plastic waste in the environment and what solutions can prevent plastic waste generation.

The Resik competition, which is part of the Resik campaign, is also an effort to emphasize the importance of public engagement to support Indonesia’s position of being actively involved in the negotiation of the Global Plastic Agreement, which aims to develop a legally binding international instrument (ILBI) together with 174 other UN countries. The form of public participation arranged by Dietplastik Indonesia in this Resik Competition is by holding a digital competition for making infographics, reels, and short films that raise messages about the importance of the Global Plastic Agreement to be implemented immediately. This Inspirational Tour is conducted to enrich the content that participants will create so that it can convey messages that have an impact on the broader community.

“This Inspirational Tour was held to educate the 30 selected participants in the Resik Competition to invite participants to see the reality of plastic waste in rivers, one of which is in the Ciliwung River. On the other hand, we also invited them to see firsthand the existing solutions to overcome plastic waste previously seen in the river by visiting Kecipir. Hopefully, with this Inspirational Tour, the Resik Competition participants will be able to see a comprehensive picture of the plastic issues in Indonesia. In addition, we hope this community participation will encourage Indonesia to continue actively participating in the Global Plastic Agreement.” Said Adithiyasanti Sofia, the Communication Manager of Dietplastik Indonesia.

Similar hope was also conveyed by Suparno Jumar from Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung: “What we hope is that the first level of local government, then the second level, then down including the community together. That is, how does the role of the government from the top level to the community resolve this problem in its ways? When this battlefield is fought with the qualifications of people, institutions, and so on. I’m sure we will win the battle soon, but if this battle is only “hit and run” where we come and see the fairy, and then we don’t return for a long time, when will this problem be resolved? The government should be collaborative and participatory, and then istiqomah will be done continuously. This means collaboration and elaboration. We surrender to the result.”

This Inspirational Tour was considered very inspiring for the participants who participated in it; this was conveyed by Ivan Maulana, who was one of the Inspirational Tour participants, “This activity is very insightful for us who sometimes like to forget that the problem of plastic waste is a problem that is close to us, but the problems in it are very complex. From this Inspirational Tour, we were shown that the plastic waste problem is not just the responsibility of one party. As civil society, we have a huge role in solving this plastic waste problem. From this Inspirational Tour, we are also increasingly convinced that it is not only the government that has great energy in the Global Plastic Agreement. Because if the government has moved but we don’t support it, it’s just a lie.” Ivan Maulana said.

We hope that the Inspirational Tour as part of the Resik Campaign can foster the enthusiasm of civil society to continue to be actively involved in the success of the Global Plastic Agreement to create a single-use plastic pollution-free Indonesia. The Resik Campaign also reflects the ambitious target set in the Marine Plastic Waste Action Plan 2017-2025, with a target of 70% reduction by 2025, which must be a joint effort between the government and the community.

For information, the Resik Competition is part of the Resik Campaign launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the National Coordination Team for Marine Debris Management (TKN PSL), and supported by the Canadian Embassy in Indonesia. The Resik campaign includes three main programs: seminars and workshops, competitions, and the Resik campaign communication strategy handbook.

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About Dietplastik Indonesia

Dietplastik Indonesia (dh. Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik) is a non-profit organization that advocates for policies to reduce single-use plastic waste in Indonesia. Dietplastik Indonesia successfully encouraged more than 100 regions to ban single-use plastics after initiating the “No Free Plastic Bags” trial 2016 with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Dietplastik Indonesia collaborates with stakeholders such as the government, businesses, and community groups to carry out waste reduction efforts that are solutive and impactful. Dietplastik Indonesia’s flagship programs related to waste reduction include the Plastic Free Market and the Jakarta Reuse Movement. Dietplastik Indonesia has received various awards for what it has done and covered in two documentary films, namely The Story of Plastic (2019), which has won Emmy Awards, and Plastic Island (2021).

E-mail: contact@plasticdiet.id

Media Contact: Renata Vania +628112441901

About the Resik Competition can be found at https://plasticdiet.id/kompetisi-resik/