All good things come in threes: ‘Rethinking Plastics’ was after 2019 and 2020 once again a strategic partner of the Indonesia Circular Economy Forum (ICEF). ICEF 4 took place from 21 to 23 July with the theme: “Towards smart & sustainable cities through circular economy: building resilience during covid-19 recovery”.

More than 4,000 participants joined the three days of discussing Circular Economy solutions for Indonesia. ‘Rethinking Plastics’ co-organised two thematic sessions in collaboration with national partners: It kicked of with a session on Circular Cities and Eco-Tourism, focussing on Waste Management on 21 July 2021 in collaboration with the Bandung Institute of Technology, Environmental Engineering Alumni (IATL-ITB), presenting speakers from various backgrounds. The session can be rewatched here. 

The second session on 22 July covered ‘Advancing EPR for Packaging’ in collaboration with the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), the Indonesia Packaging Recovery Organisation (IPRO) and the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs. In both sessions, some of the pilot projects from Indonesia under ‘Rethinking Plastics’ shared their experiences so far. Other speakers included representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), PRAISE, the Indonesian Plastics Recycling Association ADUPI, the World Bank, the Danish Protection Agency, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Vietnam. 

The ‘Advancing EPR’ session can be rewatched here. 

More information on the ICEF 4 can be found here and here. 

Single-use cutlery, cotton buds, drinking straws and stirrers made of traditional plastic – these types of disposable products have now been consigned to the past thanks to the ban on single-use plastics introduced throughout Europe as of 3 July. Disposable takeaway cups and single-use polystyrene containers are no longer allowed to be produced or put on the market in the EU either. The new rule was adopted in response to the growing global challenge of plastic waste of which the region of East and South-East Asia is particularly hard hit.

With its advisory activities, pilot projects, workshops, conferences and webinars, ‘Rethinking Plastics’ works on finding solutions for the global challenge in its seven partner countries, where the interest is high for policy and implementation experiences. Reducing and avoiding single-use plastics is one of the key topics of the project and its pilots, for example in the Indonesian city of Bandung. There, Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik (GIDKP), the Indonesian movement to reduce plastic bags, aims to reduce the use of plastic bags in traditional markets.

explains Rayhang Nusantara, national coordinator of GIDKP. The project in Bandung has already achieved some initial success: in the first four months, hundreds of market stands were involved in surveys on the baseline situation and some of their customers have already been convinced to take reusable bags. In addition, a debate was held on alternative solutions to single-use plastic bags with market traders and suppliers of alternative packaging. After all, if the project is to be successful, it is vital to involve the population and to cooperate with local partners in order to create awareness about avoiding waste.

You can read more about the European Union Policies here. 

The Toolbox on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging by the PREVENT Waste Alliance which serves as a basis for the ‘Rethinking Plastics’ activities in the partner countries has now been complemented with the video series: EPR Explained!

In 14 videos, several experts present key knowledge on different topics that are relevant for an EPR system. Furthermore, they enrich it with their personal experience regarding different matters, such as establishing a regulatory framework in Indonesia, recycling or financing a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in Germany. From Indonesia, the Packaging and Recycling Alliance for Indonesia Sustainable Environment (PRAISE) and the Indonesia Plastic Recyclers Association (ADUPI) joined the videos.

Learn more here and enjoy watching the videos!

A total of 11 Wala Usik Business Pioneers, from sari-sari stores (community convenience stores), food stalls, cafes and restaurants, took on the challenge to reduce single-use plastics in their operations. Supported by the ‘Wala Usik Economy’ pilot project, the eleven business owners developed and now launched their innovations which include the elimination of single-use plastics and the promotion of zero-waste, circular business models and systems for refilling, reusable containers, deposit-return schemes, and native packaging for takeout to name a few. 

All businesses are part of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) category in the cities of Bacolod and Talisay in Negros Occidental in the Philippines. MSME are an important sector to tap for reducing plastic waste at source and for educating consumers and other businesses about how to prevent more litter from ending up in landfills and oceans.

The 11 ‘Wala Usik’ pioneers were selected out of 113 applicants ranging from sari-sari stores, carinderias, cafes and restaurants to market vendors. They underwent workshops to design and prototype their plastic-free innovations with social marketing and business development support from the pilot project and its partners from the local government units of Bacolod and Talisay, PEMO Negros Occidental, DENR-PENRO, DTI, and other NGOs, namely, the Sowing Legacy Movement, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, and the Association of Negros Producers. 

Among the Wala Usik innovators are for example Zenia Carinderia, Thirdwave Restaurant and KapiPat Café. Zenia Dorcelo’s carinderia, located at the Talisay City Public Market, launched a ‘balonan’ subscription system for regular customers, using reusable containers for takeout and reusables for dine-in orders. Thirdwave Restaurant adopted a subscription model for home-cooked meals and started to implement a rental system for coffee brewing kits to reduce disposables, and a bottle exchange for cold brew coffee. Meanwhile, KapiPat Cafe adopted a bottle exchange system for their kombucha drinks and Esstoria coffee beans. Customers get a discount when they return the reusable bottle after their first purchase.

said Laverne Traifalgar, Restaurant Owner of Thirdwave Restaurant. And Tania Rheil Garcia, Food Stall Owner from Eleven11 Shawarma Station added: