JAKARTA (Reuters) – Confusion ruled in malls and markets in Indonesia’s capital on Thursday as a new ban on single-use plastics in one of the world’s greatest ocean-polluting countries failed to get much traction.
A worker using a face guard and protective mask use a lug bag to replace plastic at a grocery store, after the government has prohibited plastic bags from the shops and markets on July 1, in Jakarta, Indonesia July 2,2020 REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
Regardless of repeated announcements over loudspeakers and indications and banners forbidding single-use plastic bags, it was business as normal at one Jakarta market, where shoppers and suppliers were not sure what they should utilize rather.
” I’m baffled and also my buyers are even more confused,” said Hadi, a supplier, who like lots of Indonesians uses just one name. “I sell fish and there is absolutely nothing I can use other than plastic bags.”
Plastic bags of all sizes and colours were freely in use all around the aging Lenteng Agung traditional market on the second day of the plastics restriction.
Consumer Khairani said she backs the ban but just if there are feasible options.
” With fish and chicken, you can not use anything besides plastic,” she stated, carrying 2 plastic bags in each hand.
” So we reduce our usage of unneeded plastic, but that does not imply there are no plastic bags (in use) at all.”
Indonesia’s plastics problem is a severe one, with the island chain country ranked 2nd behind China for its volume of plastics that end up in the seas.
Together with the Philippines and Vietnam, those nations comprise more than half of ocean plastics.
” It it’s a good idea to decrease plastic bag use, but it requires to be more intensely communicated to encourage individuals to bring their own bags,” stated consumer Farhan Ahmad.
The brand-new policy requires shops and stalls to supply environmentally friendly bags on pain of composed warnings, substantial fines, then suspension or rescinding of authorizations.
” The rules are only 2 days old,” stated meat seller Novi Yanti. “We can’t do it immediately, it requires time.”
Composing by Martin Petty; Editing by Mark Heinrich
Reuters.
