Bekasi Forms Task Force to Monitor Plastic Ban Policy

TEMPO.CO, Bekasi - Bekasi administration has established a Zero Plastic task force to monitor the use of plastic among state civil apparatus in a bid to realize a city without plastic by 2020.

“The task force will track each building in the Bekasi Mayoral Office Complex to detect the use of single-use plastic and other packagings that potentially produce waste,” said the city Environment Agency head Yayan Yuliana, Tuesday, October 8.

The city administration previously issued a regulation that prohibits the use of plastic through Bekasi Mayoral Instruction on May 31, 2019, concerning the program of clean office and free plastic zone in the office complex of Jalan Ahmad Yani. The policy bars state apparatus from using plastic.

Yayan admitted that several employees were still seen bringing packaged meals they purchased from outside the office or via delivery services so far. Later, they will get moral sanctions.

Bekasi also targeted to oblige retail shops, shopping malls, and traditional markets to no longer providing plastic bags per January 1, 2020. Albeit the hard challenges, Yayan added that the city is determined to optimize the program, including by coordinating with the Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo) and the Indonesian Shopping Center Association (APPBI).

He pinned hope the policy would not affect the declining revenue of entrepreneurs, either of little shops, retailers, or tenants in shopping centers. “So we, from all sectors, must unite. If [the program is only] applied by one or two stores, it will cause discrimination and drop the revenue of stores that already implement it,” Yayan said.

According to Yayan, several stores have so far implemented the plastic ban policy. They provided reusable bags or non-free plastic bags (KPTG). “This is part of our efforts so the public must be educated to bring their own shopping bags,” he concluded.

ANTARA