Radically Reducing Plastic Pollution
As we celebrate the Earth Day, we should remember that 75% of plastic waste in Indonesia is mismanaged. Many of the plastic waste are simply burned or dumped on land, which could leak into the water bodies and dangerous for the environment.
A Multi-Stakeholder Action Plan has been developed for 12 months with the objective to reduce 70% of plastic pollution by 2025 and set the goal for zero plastic pollution by 2040. National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) mission is to convene and to organize collaboration between stakeholders, decision-makers across government, industry, business sector, civil society, and academia to achieve ambitious goals of the multi-stakeholders.
Considering the situation with Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership and multi-stakeholder action plan is launched digitally on Wednesday, 22 April 2020, live from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments Affairs YouTube Channel.
Commitment to reduce plastic pollution
NPAP is the first collaboration with National Government which was launched one year ago with the goal to accelerate Indonesia's progress for eradicating plastic pollution. "With the launch of the multi-stakeholder action plan which liaises out a concrete roadmap for reducing marine plastic leakage by 70% by 2025, we would have made a significant step towards achieving this goal," said Kristin Hughes from Global Plastic Action Partnership on her Welcome Message during the Digital Launch of Indonesia's Multi-Stakeholder Action Plan.
Over the past year, a team of leading change-makers in Indonesia had been assembled to conduct extensive data gathering and analysis, develop a locally-driven unified approach to continue engagement with the key stakeholders, and secure the approval of a national coalition consists of public, private, and civil society leaders.
As the NPAP moves into the implementation phase, Kristin announced the creation of five task forces that are focused on policy, innovation, financing, behavior change, and matrix which would play an instrumental role to make the action plan into practice. Each task force will consist of 10-20 members led by co-chairs and convene regularly to shape and lead the action plan implementations.
"Indonesia has shown us a world-class example of how to take on complex issues namely plastic pollution through a collaborative and efficient multi-stakeholder approach. In Indonesia and across the world, we have seen the power of community as more crucial than ever to come together in new and creative ways to openly share our expertise and experience and acting unison to solve the most pressing issues that face us. We believe that a circular and plastic pollution-free Indonesia is possible. We will get there, together," she said.
An ambitious plan to eradicate plastic pollution
"Covid-19 has become a global threat which cannot be resolved by a single nation alone. We have to support each other, hand in hand and embrace every support for the betterment of our life condition. Through this online event, we will be able to work together and dedicate our works to combat plastic waste. Indonesia is fully committed to implement the sustainable development program and to fight against plastic waste and set this out as one of our National Priority Agenda," said Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments Affairs on the digital launch event.
He added that President Joko Widodo had set the course with two crucial pieces of legislation: Indonesia National Waste Management Policy and Strategy and The Plan of Action on Marine Plastic Debris 2018-2025 via Presidential Decree No. 83 of 2018.
He expressed that the first step in this process was to bring the right stakeholders on board. Last year, Indonesia joined the global plastic action partnership, a new public-private collaboration and platform launched at the World Economic Forum, then afterwards Indonesia became the first country in the world to launch NPAP, an inclusive and a solution-driven partnership to solve the challenge of plastic pollution. The same partnership is currently prepared for Ghana and Vietnam.
"Through NPAP, we have created a platform for bringing together Indonesia top minds to take on plastic pollution together. From researches to business and civil society, we have created a national multi-stakeholder action plan that lay out the concrete steps we need to take," he added.
Indonesia will be choosing not what is easy, but what is right
Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan
"We hope the NPAP acts as an inspiration in these challenging times, with far greater collaboration and commitment from others on the global stage. By 2040 we aim to achieve the plastic pollution-free Indonesia, one that embodies the principle of the circular economy in which plastic will no longer end up in our ocean, waterways, and landfills, but will go on to have a new life," he closed.
Dr. Nani Hendiarti, the Acting Deputy Minister at Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments Affairs explained the five priority actions needed to radically reduce plastic pollution in Indonesia. "We have a target to reduce the marine plastic debris by up to 70% in 2025", she said.
Indonesia has announced a plan to radically reduce plastic pollution through five key actions:
1. Reduce or substitute plastic usage to prevent consuming 1 million tonnes of plastic per year
2. Redesign plastic products and packaging with reuse or recycling in mind
3. Double plastic waste collection to more than 80% by 2025
4. Double current recycling capacity by 2025
5. Build or expand controlled waste disposal facilities to safely manage waste that can't be recycled.
On this Earth Day, take part in what you can do to reduce plastic pollution. Let's make the environment better through our daily actions.
