DLH Surabaya Reprimands Outlet Managers For Violating Plastic Restriction Rules

PHOTO ARCHIVES/Members of the Zero Waste Community give environmentally friendly shopping bags to residents to campaign for the reduction of the use of single-use plastic bags at Gunung Anyar Market, Surabaya (ANTARA/Fiqih Arfani)

SURABAYA - The Surabaya City Environmental Service (DLH) in East Java Province from April to June 2022 has reprimanded 50 sales outlet managers who are considered to have violated regulations regarding restrictions on the use of single-use plastic bags.

"We continue to give verbal and written warnings, we have implemented them. Findings in the field there are some who still have not implemented environmentally friendly bags, so when we came there were findings of plastic waste there," said Head of the Surabaya City Environment Agency Agus Hebi Djuniantoro reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, July 6.

He explained that since the Surabaya Mayor's Regulation Number 16 of 2022 concerning Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags was published on March 9, 2022, the Environmental Service has continued to disseminate the regulation to the public and business actors in the City of Heroes.

"Since then we have continued to take action on markets, malls, street vendors, and grocery stores," he said.

Hebi said that people, business owners, street vendors (PKL), and traders in traditional markets who are used to using single-use plastic bags are still having a hard time adapting to the rules regarding reducing the use of single-use plastic bags.

"It's really difficult, that's why I thought, for example, when you enter the mall, you have to bring your bag. That's the only way. Write it at the mall or market, if they want to enter, they have to bring their own bag," he said.

According to Hebi, the reduction in the use of single-use plastic bags must be carried out gradually and continuously until people get used to not using single-use plastic bags.

"We also can't crash right away. We provide understanding little by little and the justice (operation) continues," he said.

Hebi said that the Environmental Service cooperates with communities that care about the environment in carrying out the mission to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags in the city of Surabaya, including in socializing regulations regarding reducing the use of plastic bags in the last three months.

Regarding the plan to provide environmentally friendly bags for residents in traditional markets to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags, Hebi said that the availability of the budget for this purpose could not be ascertained.