A feel-good story anyone?

Markit

Markit

Well-Known Member
Just learned from my guy that the government is now actively (here in Karangasem) promoting the collection of all this plastic that we all hate.

Apparently they are providing collection bags (plastic of course) which the locals all take home and there collect the plastic. When the government sends notification to the Banjar that collection is imminent the bags are all brought to a central weigh station where the locals are paid 2000 Rupiah per pound of this clean and dry plastic.

It would seem that this is quite a runner and that lots and lots of plastic is being collected. Hope it carries on so.
 
"Apparently they are providing collection bags (plastic of course) which the locals all take home and there collect the plastic."
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Of course, plastic bags - makes it easier to dump the whole thing in a recycling machine.

Interestingly I saw one of those machines about 2 years back at an exhibition in Jakarta, cost about US$100k, from Taiwan & shreds, grinds, melts virtually any plastic into pellets which can then be reused as either black plastic bags or pallets (or whatever) but not clear food grade bags (like a kid's colour mixing art project: mix a bunch of colours & you always get black - sama sama).

There was an earlier post about some company opening a plastic recycling operation in Bali, my comment at the time was (surprisingly un cynical) but along the lines of "the hard part is the collection of a pure waste stream" (ie the batch must be 100% plastic... paper or metal crap will bugger-up the process)

So I guess they've now solved it... pass it downstream to the Banjar & pay $$ - they'll pass it down the line & everyone gets a cut.

Yes there will be cynics who see a $ behind every decision - I see a developing 3rd world country that can't afford a free-collection system.
So before the Western cynics kick in here's some factoids:-
In the US with no federal regultion despite the efforts of well meaning 'recycliers' 83% of household waste gets dumped in hole in the ground
In Japan with serious regulation they dump less than 3% in landfill: Their definition of the word 'waste' is:
"Something that can't be sold to someone else!"

So heading in the right direction: add value to the scrap & Where there's muck there's brass
 
balibule said:
Yes, well, if you would be earning 100 dollar a month then would you not be the same?
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Maybe a misunderstanding: I did not mean that cynical, I think that is the only way to get things done here if it has to do with rubbish / waste. The people do not see the long term effects the rubbish has on their land and their lives, and cannot immagine what the mistakes cost in the future. So better pay them a small sum today and they will take care of the plastic problem themselves.

One problem: if they see that the get money for plastic, they will ask for more bags when shopping :-(
 
Andrew said:
One problem: if they see that the get money for plastic, they will ask for more bags when shopping :-(
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Haha, yes, who knows. Another similar one is people go searching for turtle eggs, dig them up and sell them to a turtle sanctuary.
 
Follow the logic "One problem: if they see that the get money for plastic, they will ask for more bags when shopping :-( "

If they start asking for more bags then the people with the bags will start having to charge for them too thereby cutting the source. If experience in Germany and UK is anything to go by that will cut demand drastically. I mean it drives me fecking loopy when I buy something in plastic life soap or detergent and they then want to put it in another plastic back at checkout. Funny enough they seem to be used to the Bule histrionics re plastic because they are usually half reaching for the card boxes when they see me.

No down side that I can see.
 
It also drives me crazy when I bring my own bag for carrying the shopping items and they still try to put everything in plastic-bags. In my opinion nothing will change unless there is a charge on plastic bags like at home in Austria.
 
Carrefour already charge for plastic bags, something like Rp200 per bag, but don't quote me. They also sell reusable cloth bags.
 
I think the main issue stems not from the stores such as Carrefour but from the myriad of Warungs and other small convenience store who seem to put every item in a separate plastic bag. It's frustrating as heck to see kids buy candies, walk ten paces throw the plastic bag on the side of the road, unwrap the candy and dispose in a likewise manner the wrapper. I've picked up plastic bags in the past after seeing this only to be either laughed at or perceived as some kind of nutter! With the recent flooding in Jakarta being in part attributed to the amount of trash in the rivers and canals I can only hope that the local authorities start to wake up to this issue. Its nice to hear that may just be the case.
 
@ Markit: Yes that's the classic "next-step" to drive the supermarkets to reduce the amount of plastic ultimately going into the waste stream.

@ Canonman: The BIG problem is the thin-wall plastic bags (less than 20micron) usually the little pink pags from the warungs.
In China they've banned the production, sale & use of these thin bags - no good to man nor beast
 
I have found that hessian bags that are produced by a multinational supermarket chain in Australia are indispensable for daily travel around Bali, as they are great for carrying towels and extra clothes and then throw a few items in it from Bintang on the way home. they have good integrity, last for ages, have a cool texture, and dont blow around sitting in the footwell. viva la hessian
 
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