Indonesian Plastics and Rubber Expected to Stoke Investor Interest: Govt

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 33rd Plastics and Rubber Indonesia exhibition at JIExpo, Kemayoran, is expected to help drum up investment interest in the rubber and plastics industry, according to the Industry Ministry.

The expo is being held from November 16–19, 2022.

This investment interest would include the integrated industrial development process technology, from upstream to downstream, thus it would complement the national industrial supply chain, coordinator of the downstream plastic and rubber industry working group at the ministry, Danil Zuhry Akbar, said.

"(This exhibition) is also expected to be able to gauge the reaction from companies on consumers' mindset, who are getting better at demanding sustainable and environmentally friendly products," he added on the sidelines of the exhibition on Wednesday.

The rubber industry is a priority for the national industry, Akbar noted. The government is encouraging the development of this sector to push rubber consumption and develop supporting sectors, such as aesthetic rubber and other materials, including products that are currently not produced domestically.

"Everything is based on the government's master plan. The rubber industry is a priority industry, along with the plastics industry, including its supporting industry category, (which) need to be developed," he said.

Moreover, the government is also encouraging the development of the plastics and plastic materials industry because it has prospective market potential and is the backbone of the manufacturing, cosmetics, electronics, automotive, chemical, oil, and lubricants industries.

"The potential and consumption of plastic products in Indonesia is still quite huge; moreover, the national consumption per capita in 2021, per person, was around 22.5 kg, including recycled plastic, which is still relatively lower than other ASEAN countries," Akbar pointed out.

The plastics industry is a part of the circular economy concept, which is based on the principle of reuse for maximizing economic value and consumption leftovers, he said.

The role of the plastics industry in the circular economy--such as the design of materials that are easy to recycle in one economic circle-- allows repeated use of materials, which would not pollute the environment, he added.

He commended organizers for raising the topic of circular economy through the exhibition. This was done to motivate and inspire entrepreneurs to develop the domestic industry through the transfer of the latest technology, with high rate of productivity and efficiency, especially in efforts to develop the post-pandemic national plastic and rubber industry.

"We truly commend this exhibition, an interesting program from the exhibition includes the circular economy zone, which is one of the supports to accelerate the implementation of the circular economy," he remarked.

PT Pamerindo Indonesia events director Lia Indriasari said that she collaborated with Indonesian Plastics Recyclers (IPR) to design the circular economy zone at the event. The zone features industry players who have already implemented a sustainability program as part of their business model to inspire similar industries to adopt a circular business model.

"With the return of the Plastics and Rubber Indonesia 2022 exhibition, which, this time, has the theme ‘The Future of Plastics Sector in Indonesia,’ business people will be more aware and open to implementing circular business models," she added.

This year's Plastics and Rubber Indonesia exhibition is showcasing 337 exhibitors from various countries and is targeting to attract more than 8,000 visitors.

ANTARA

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