Behavioral change on part of the public is vital to efforts to gradually eliminate single-use plastic in Indonesia, according to the director of waste management at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Novrizal Tahar.

At a press conference here on Thursday, he said that the ministry has issued Regulation No. P.75 of 2019 on the road map for producer’s waste reduction, also known as extended producer responsibility.

The road map targets the eventual removal of single-use plastic and polystyrene-based food utensils by 2030, he noted.

“This must be supported by a change in behavior among the public. The demand (for single-use plastic) will gradually decrease, and the phasing down and phasing out could be realized through behavioral change,” Tahar said.

The ministry official then lauded the youth movement for environmental sustainability, The Antheia Project, which has persevered in promoting the reduction of polystyrene use and educating people about it.

He said that such campaigns are necessary to promote a plastic-free lifestyle among the greater public, including the younger generation.

“I hope (plastic-free) could be the lifestyle, better if it becomes a way of life,” Tahar remarked.

He said that a lifestyle change cannot take place in a very short time, and a gradual process will be needed to realize a plastic-free life to reduce the risk of environmental damage.

The development of the domestic recycling industry is a good sign for efforts to manage and reduce plastic waste in Indonesia, he pointed out.

He affirmed that the government will also prepare regulations and legal bases to expedite the removal of single-use plastic, which is non-degradable and can potentially pollute the environment.

Source: Antara News