TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Environment Minister Emil Salim said that the Jakarta Bay is not just mired in issues regarding reclaimed islands but is also haunted by plastic waste.

During a public discussion about revitalizing the Jakarta Bay on Thursday, March 8, Emil Salim said that there are three strategies to reduce Jakarta Bay’s plastic waste issue.

Read: Enviro Ministry Jakarta Produces 70,000 Tons of Waste Per-Day

1. Total river-monitoring

Emil suggested that the 13 rivers that pass through the heart of Jakarta must be monitored and controlled. Rivers must be free of plastic and organic waste that often gets intentionally thrown.

2. Ban further use of plastic

Secondly, Emil suggests the government intensify the ban on plastic bags. The government must be able to lure people to not use plastic to carry things, or at the very least charge people for the use of plastic.

He added that the government must also provide incentives to anyone who returns plastic waste to appointed government recycling posts, as Emil experienced during his study in the United States.

Read: Jakarta in State of Waste Emergency

3. Offshore reservoir

According to the professor at the University of Indonesia (UI), waste management can also be controlled by establishing an offshore reservoir that can prevent further garbage pollution at the downstream level.

The reservoir, said Emil, can also be used to prevent future coastal floods from haunting Jakarta’s densely populated coastal areas.

Dias Prasongko