Jakarta – The administration of Bogor in West Java has significantly reduced plastic waste through a policy banning plastic bags at many retailers, which has been in place since Dec. 12. Mayoral Regulation No. 60/2018 bars modern retailers from providing plastic bags to their customers.
"At least 24 retailers have implemented the policy," Bogor Environment Agency head of partnerships Setiawati said in a press release on Monday, without elaborating.
The result, Setiawati added, had encouraged the administration to expand the policy to 12 traditional markets in the municipality. The agency would start introducing the ban at the traditional markets on National Plastic Waste Reduction Day, March 1.
"It took us four months to introduce the policy at modern retailers. I believe it will take us more than that for the traditional markets," she said.
The agency would invite traditional market merchants in discussions. She said she was confident about the plan, because the newly inaugurated director of municipality-owned market operator PD PPJ Bogor was in favor of a plastic ban. (vla)