VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) Research Felippa Ann Amanta encourages the government to provide incentives for innovative business entities in creating environmentally friendly packaging to improve food safety.

"Provide incentives for the private sector to encourage alternative innovations from plastics that are suitable for food, through subsidies for research and a reduction in the tax value for companies that innovate," Felippa said in a webinar, on Thursday.

She said this is in line with local regulations on reducing plastic bags in shopping centers, shops, supermarkets, and public markets or traditional markets, therefore, the government needs to consider the readiness of food vendors and online delivery food to adapt.

She said that efforts by the private sector to provide reusable airtight bags for online food delivery drivers/couriers are still lacking.

"The central and local governments must provide incentives to the private sector, including MSMEs, to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging," she said.

Felippa said that public consumption, especially during a pandemic has shifted to processed and ultra-processed products, especially in urban communities.

In the period 2020-2024, there is an estimated 11.5 percent increase in online food delivery, especially because people are increasingly concerned with efficiency and safety.

Felippa reminded that based on existing regulations, business actors, or third parties such as delivery partners have to guarantee the condition of processed product packaging during delivery is intact and undamaged.

"We need options that are more environmentally friendly and more weather resistant, and we need options that are affordable for MSMEs so that they can also contribute to this eco-friendly movement," she added.

She recommends environmentally friendly biodegradable packaging, such as from cassava or seaweed.

Rahmawati, head of waste management in Jakarta Environment Agency, stated that her party was drafting a regulation that would provide incentives so that business actors and the public were more enthusiastic about not using single-use plastic bags anymore.

Jakarta Government has required the use of Environmentally Friendly Bags starting July 1, 2020. Rahmawati stated that her party will continue to supervise its implementation as well as continuous education in every mass media.

"The challenges we face in this regard are that it takes time, paradigm, and continuous collaboration," she said.

Rahmawati reminded that in 2019, 7,702 tons per day were recorded to be transported to the Bantargebang landfill, of which about 30 percent was plastic. (Antaranews)