Bandung (18 February 2021). Joint efforts for less plastic: Bandung, 18 February 2021, the City Government (PEMKOT) Bandung, the Regional Public Company (PERUMDA) Pasar Juara and Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement (GIDKP) launched a new program for a plastic free market in Bandung city. This is in line with the regulations to reduce the use of plastic bags, i.e. Regional Regulation No. 17 of 2012 concerning Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags and Bandung Mayor Regulation No. 37 of 2019 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Bandung City Regional Regulation No. 17 of 2012, requires the retail sector, including the traditional market, to reduce the use of plastic bags. This aims to reduce waste generation from the use of single-use plastics, especially plastic bags, while at the same time creating a clean and healthy environment.
Together with the City Government (PEMKOT) Bandung, and the Regional Public Company (PERUMDA) Pasar Juara, the Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement (GIDKP) will carry out the Plastic Free Market program at Traditional Market in Bandung. It is supported by the ‘Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solution to Marine Litter’ project, which is funded by the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in Indonesia.
In order to solve the global problem of plastic waste at sea, the European Union has issued a series of policies and regulations to encourage the application of a circular economy for plastics, and a ban on certain types of single-use plastics. The Rethinking Plastics project, which is implemented in seven countries in East and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, collaborates with various stakeholders in Indonesia to tackle plastic waste and implement a circular economy through a series of activities, one of which is the Plastic Free Market Program in Bandung. Henriette Faergemann, First Counselor in Environment, Climate Action and ICT at the, European Union Delegation to Indonesia and Timor Leste, expressed the European Union’s appreciation to the City Government and the Bandung Community for their commitment to realizing a Plastic Free Market in the city of Bandung. “I am looking forward to exchange further and learn jointly from experiences in Indonesia, and the EU on promoting sustainable plastic consumption and reducing plastic waste can be a lesson for Indonesia to overcome the problem of plastic waste in Indonesia“
The Plastic Free Market Program in the city of Bandung began on February 17, 2021 with the “Rampok Plastik” (plastic grab) activity which was held at the Kosambi Market. Within 30 minutes, no less than 150 plastic bags brought by market consumers were successfully exchanged for 50 reusable bags. It is a form of education to market consumers, namely by exchanging plastic bags used for reusable bags. “Rampok Plastik” has previously been carried out by GIDKP in several areas already, one of which is in Jakarta which was linked to the Plastic Free Market activity at Tebet Barat Traditional Market.
Support for the implementation of the Plastic Free Market Program also came from PERUMDA Pasar Juara by proposing Kosambi Traditional Market and Cihapit Traditional Market as plastic-free pilot markets in Bandung City. Herry Hermawan, President Director of PERUMDA Pasar Juara, conveyed PERUMDA’s commitment to help educate traders not to use single-use plastic bags in the buying and selling process, “maybe in that way, the little things we do will have a big impact on Bandung” he added.
Launching of the Plastic Free Market Program in Bandung
On 18 February, the Plastic Free Market Programm in Bandung was officially launched and a joint committmend between the departments signed. In his remarks, Deputy Mayor of Bandung, Yana Mulyana, encouraged all involved partners and stakholders to immediately take concrete steps to support the Plastic Free Market Program, considering that this initiative is an effort to reduce waste.
On the same occasion, the Head of the Bandung City Environment Agency, Kamalia Purbani, , expressed his appreciation to the European Union and GIZ for their support to Bandung City in overcoming plastic waste: “The Bandung City Environment Agency together with GIDKP will carry out a series of activities to support the implementation of this program, including baseline surveys at Kosambi and Cihapit Traditional Markets and educational activities for market traders, of course with the support of PERUMDA Pasar Juara and other Regional Apparatus Organizations as well as regional officials “.
The formulation and application of the concept of a “plastic bag free market” for Bandung City will refer to the results of the baseline research conducted by GIDKP. Intensive dialogues with market traders will help to find and determine joint solutions and alternatives to realize the plastic-free Kosambi and Cihapit traditional markets. Communities around the market and consumers will be involved in outreach activities as well.
GIDKP National Coordinator, Rahyang Nusantara explained that the educational process to change people’s behavior to be more active in reducing the use of single-use plastics is the key to the success of this program. “Our efforts to encourage local governments and business actors to reduce the use of plastic bags and other single-use plastics are solely to save the environment from plastic pollution. This effort is a form of real action in achieving regional targets in reducing waste by 30% until 2025 and of course supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where prevention and reduction of waste generation on land and at sea is one main target, “he explained.The plastic free market program in the Kosambi and Cihapit traditional markets shall be an example of efforts to reduce single-use plastics in traditional markets, and provide lessons for the next replication process in other traditional market.
