Majority of Consumers Complain about Old Galons, KKI Demands Regulations on the Use of Recycled Galons

JAKARTA - As many as 92 percent of consumers of bottled drinking water complain that old-age reuse bottles or "Ganula" are still circulating. This finding is the result of consumer complaints submitted to the Indonesian Consumer Community (KKI) through a channel on its website.

"In commemoration of National Consumer Day on April 20, KKI released the results of public complaints that we received from March to April this year," said KKI Chairman David Tobing at the Press Conference "Exposure of Three Years of KKI Monitoring of the Risk of Extended Use of Reuse Gallon (Ganula)" at Habitate, Jakarta, Thursday, April 30.

"As a result, there were 250 consumer complaints from seven major cities (Jakarta, Surabaya, Kediri, Tangerang, Bogor, Bekasi, and Depok)," added David.

"Ganula" is the oldest reported by consumers, according to David, was produced in 2015 or 11 years old. In addition to complaining about the old reusable gallon life, consumers also questioned the physical damage of the gallon, such as dull, dirty, mossy, and cracked. "The point is, the older the gallon is, the more diverse the types of complaints," said David.

The main factor that causes "Ganula" to still be circulating in the market is the lack of information disclosure by manufacturers, even though information is a consumer's right guaranteed in the Consumer Protection Law. In addition to printing the production code of the gallon at the bottom of the gallon, so that it is difficult for consumers to see, according to David, manufacturers are not open that drinking water packaging, whatever type of plastic it is, has a shelf life or reuse cycle.

"On their website, there are big manufacturers who admit that their drinking water packaging has an expiration date, but they still reuse it," said David.

In the complaint, as many as 92 percent of consumers admitted that they had never received information about the life of a reusable gallon. After finding out through advocacy by KKI, 83 percent of consumers felt entitled to a quality gallon while 78 percent demanded a replacement of the gallon as a solution to their complaints.

David explained that polymer experts from the University of Indonesia recommended a reusable gallon life of 1 year or 40 reuse cycles. This is because more than that, reusable gallons made of polycarbonate plastic are at high risk of releasing the harmful chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) into drinking water, which can cause various health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and reproductive disorders.

It is this scientific recommendation that encourages KKI to pay close attention to this "Ganula" issue. For three consecutive years, KKI has conducted a national survey in 2024, an investigation of grocery stores in Jabodetabek in 2025, and opened a consumer complaint channel in 2026. KKI has also met with the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) and the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

"According to us, the impact of exposure to BPA from Ganula is very significant, it can threaten the health of more than 100 million Indonesians," said David.

"BPS data shows that 34 percent of households in Indonesia consume drinking water from a gallon, which means there are 26 million households, or more than 100 million residents," explained David.

In response to this, David urged the government to immediately issue regulations on the life of reusable gallons to protect consumer health. Other countries, such as the European Union, according to David, have taken much more advanced steps than Indonesia. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) - BPOM in the European Union - has even banned the total use of BPA-containing polycarbonate plastic as food packaging. The ban will take effect in July 2026.

Meanwhile, BPOM RI has only required the installation of BPA labels on bottled drinking water in polycarbonate plastic. The obligation is contained in BPOM Regulation Number 6 of 2024 concerning Processed Food Labels, and it will only apply in 2028.

"However, there is no regulation that regulates the life of reusable gallons. Without this rule, old gallons or Ganula will still circulate in the community. This regulatory gap is exploited by manufacturers to continue to distribute Ganula which should no longer be usable," concluded David.