DLH Claims Plastic Waste In Surabaya Reduces By 2 Tons Every Day

Archives Photos - Surabaya City Government Officers while cleaning up piles of garbage in Kalianak River, Surabaya City, Monday (7/2/2022). (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Surabaya)

SURABAYA - Surabaya Environmental Agency (DLH) said that plastic waste in the City of Heroes, East Java, is reduced by two tons every day.

Head of DLH Surabaya Agus Hebi Djuniantoro said the reduction in plastic waste could not be separated from Mayor Regulation (Perwali) Number 16 of 2022 concerning Reduction in the Use of Plastic Bags on March 9, 2022.

"After the Perwali was issued, the consumption of plastic waste in the City of Heroes was reduced by about two tons every day," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 9.

According to him, the contribution to reducing plastic waste consumption is dominated by supermarkets and modern markets.

"Every day the plastic is reduced by two tons. This is because modern shops and modern markets no longer use plastic bags. So, we calculated that their plastic needs were around two tons," he said.

Hebi explained that the prohibition on using plastic bags does not only apply to supermarkets and modern markets, but also in the people's market.

"Thus, people are expected to be able to use environmentally friendly shopping bags," he said.

Hebi explained that this step was an effort by the Surabaya City Government to support the Indonesian Government through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) related to regulations for the gradual termination of use of several types of single-use plastics at the end of 2029.

These include stopping the use of steorofoam as food packaging, plastic straws, plastic bags, multilayer packaging, and small packaging.

"The Surabaya City Government has started from the start. If it is the central (government) policy, the region is obliged to supervise it with derivative regulations from the center," said Hebi.

Currently, Hebi is waiting for official regulations from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry regarding the gradual termination of use of several types of single-use plastics at the end of 2029.

"We want to know the shape, we will see the rules above it. Then, follow up with the existing regulations in the regions. We already have Perwali 16 of 2022, of course we will sharpen it again from Perwali regulations so that it can support the above (rules)," he said.