Jakarta (Greeners) – Responding to lawsuits from plastic and recycling plastic industries, Bogor and DKI Jakarta administrations will continue to process and implement policies to reduce single-use plastic volume as stipulates by Waste Management Law.
Currently, Bogor city administration is facing a lawsuit filed by the Indonesia Olefin, Aromatic, and Plastic Industry Association, or Inaplas, for its 2018 Mayor Regulation on Plastic Bag Use Ban.
Elia Buntang, head of Bogor Environmental Agency, said that Bogor administration is not afraid of the lawsuit.
Buntang adds that public and modern retailer business are approved of the regulation.
“Though we have not received the lawsuit letter, but the rumors from Supreme Court that [we] have received the letters. However, we already anticipate the lawsuit while meeting with Ministry of Environment and Forestry, represented by Ibu Vivien, director general of waste management and toxic and hazardous waste, some time ago. We are ready to face this together because this is not just Bogor city’s responsibility,” said Buntang in Jakarta on Monday (29/04/2019).
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Bogor city administration has implemented the regulation since 1 December 2018 and capable to reduce single plastic use bags up to 41 tons per months, he added.
Furthermore, he denies that the regulation harms modern retailer as they were involved in the process and the administration also set up call center to accommodate protests from public.
However, he said that he had not heard any complaints filed about the regulation.
“In addition, there is no human rights violation. Five months after the regulation took effect, there was not a single protest from public, even we found people started to carry their own shopping bags in traditional markets. I need to underline that Bogor city does not harm anyone for this regulation,” he said.
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Meanwhile, DKI Jakarta administration, represented by Rahmawati, head of Waste Management of Environmental Agency, said that the government will not step back to continue the process of governor regulation on plastic bag limitation.
The governor regulation will refer to the 2013 Government Regional which stipulates modern markets and traditional markets to use environmentally friendly plastic bags or recyclable made from fabric for reuse.
“Currently, the governor regulation is on the final phase and waiting for governor’s signature. The regulation will not just talk about the obligations of retailers to use environmentally friendly plastic bags, but also education to change public to green lifestyle. The plan will be supported by traditional markets and directors of PD Pasar Jaya,” said Rahmawati.
Furthermore, she said that the government is made because waste produced by DKI Jakarta keeps on increasing every year.
In 2017-18, waste in DKI Jakarta reached to 6,800 per tons per day, however, it already amounts to 7,400 tons per day.
In addition, Bantar Gebang landfill will no longer able to contain waste by 2021 as it’s already reaching 40 meters high.
Tiza Mafira, executive director of Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement, said that they will support regional governments to tackle and find solution for waste issues.
Mafira said that the movement assists several regions to compose the plastic bag limitations and not backing down from possible lawsuits.
“So far, they [local government] states that they are not afraid because the willingness to solve this waste issue is high. So, if there are disruptions, the questions should go to the disturbers, not the solution of this regulation being questioned. This is really difficult for the logic. They filed lawsuit because of losing money? This kind of reason needs to be questioned meanwhile we want to solve the problem,” she said.
Reports by Dewi Purningsih
21 Apr 2024 
