{"id":60147585,"date":"2026-08-20T09:54:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T08:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?p=60147585"},"modified":"2026-08-20T09:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T08:55:08","slug":"carbon-crossroads-can-indonesia-cut-plastic-waste-and-grow-its-petrochemical-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/pollution\/carbon-crossroads-can-indonesia-cut-plastic-waste-and-grow-its-petrochemical-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbon crossroads: Can Indonesia cut plastic waste and grow its petrochemical industry?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a supermarket in Jakarta, Diana Marsella loads her groceries into a canvas tote bag.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI used to take plastic bags without thinking,\u201d said the 39-year-old office worker. \u201cNow I always carry reusable bags with me\u2026 It feels strange if I forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-did-you-know alignright block--did-you-know\"><p class=\"block--did-you-know__title\">Editor\u2019s note<\/p><div class=\"block--did-you-know__content\"><p>This is the second of three articles in the Carbon crossroads series, which scrutinises Indonesia\u2019s growing, carbon-intensive petrochemicals industry. The series brings to light the need to decarbonise the industry, examining possible solutions that could be adopted by policymakers, project developers and consumers. It also explores the pros and cons of China\u2019s massive investment in Indonesian petrochemicals.<br\/><a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/carbon-crossroads-petrochemicals-boom-tests-indonesias-climate-goals\/\">Read the first part here<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/id\/pergub-anies-kantong-plastik-dilarang-beredar-di-jakarta-mulai-juli-2020\/a-51909309\">2020 ban<\/a> on disposable plastic bags, their use in the city fell by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.antaranews.com\/berita\/2225546\/penggunaan-%20kantong-plastik-di-jakartaturun-82-persen\">82%<\/a> in the following months, said a Jakarta Environmental Agency official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar bans were implemented across the country\u2019s other cities and regencies from as early as 2016. However, this year a <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1iypBSnXkVv0GSlJ_hhWb7ccj-Vn00sb6\/view\">report<\/a> by the NGO Dietplastik Indonesia found enforcement to still be lax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Indonesia is continuing to expand its petrochemical industry, as we saw in <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/carbon-crossroads-petrochemicals-boom-tests-indonesias-climate-goals\/\">the first part of this series<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New and upcoming large-scale projects contain crackers that heat petroleum naphtha to create ethylene and propylene, building blocks for commonly used plastics. They are then turned into resins used in products like food packaging and bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The industry\u2019s expansion aims to boost domestic production of such building blocks, <a href=\"https:\/\/jakartaglobe.id\/business\/industry-ministry-aims-to-cut-petrochemical-imports-by-95-billion\">cutting reliance<\/a> on imports. But environmental groups and experts say this growth increasingly clashes with the country\u2019s waste reduction goals and climate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kompas.id\/artikel\/komitmen-iklim-indonesia-dalam-cop-30-diragukan\">commitments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most plastics are made from oil and gas through energy-intensive industrial processes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciel.org\/project-update\/plastic-climate-the-hidden-costs-of-a-plastic-planet\/\">generate<\/a> emissions from extraction, refining and manufacturing. Globally, petrochemicals is becoming one of the most dominant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/oil-2025\/executive-summary\">sources<\/a> of oil demand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Daily use plastics are expected to make up the bulk of demand up to 2050 in Southeast Asian countries and China, Japan and South Korea, according to a 2025 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/content\/dam\/oecd\/en\/publications\/reports\/2025\/07\/regional-plastics-outlook-for-southeast-and-east-asia_2e7d80a6\/5a8ff43c-en.pdf\">report<\/a>. Experts Dialogue Earth spoke to say there is a need to tackle this demand rather than think of plastic as purely a pollution and post-consumer issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery plastic product carries a carbon footprint long before it is thrown away,\u201d notes Herlina Agustin, an associate professor at Padjadjaran University in Bandung researching environmental communications. But \u201cpublic awareness is still focused on plastic as a cleanliness issue, not as part of a larger fossil fuel and carbon system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said greater awareness of plastics\u2019 carbon footprint could help reduce consumption, but lasting reductions would require changes in policy, infrastructure and business practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe biggest impacts occur when individual behaviour, public policy and industrial transformation move together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-growing-dependence-and-possible-alternatives\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Growing dependence and possible alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indonesia\u2019s fast-growing demand for plastic is projected to reach 22 million metric tonnes in 2050, up from 8 million in 2022, according to the 2025 OECD <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/content\/dam\/oecd\/en\/publications\/reports\/2025\/07\/regional-plastics-outlook-for-southeast-and-east-asia_2e7d80a6\/5a8ff43c-en.pdf\">report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rapid economic growth is likely to drive up consumption, including of plastic and plastic-intensive products, the report states. Indonesia\u2019s population is also projected to continue rising while urban expansion shifts lifestyles toward consumption involving short-lived plastic applications, such as packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 2050, transportation and manufacturing sector expansion is expected to make up a big part of plastic demand growth. But everyday use plastics are likely to retain a dominant role in the total plastic demand across Southeast Asia and China, South Korea and Japan, at 61%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Indonesia, the percentage is unlikely to change much, according to the report. In 2022 it stood at nearly 60%, with 31% for packaging, 17% for synthetic textiles and 11% for household consumer products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Public-recycling-bins-in-Malang-East-Java_Alamy_2KDWYXH.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Public-recycling-bins-in-Malang-East-Java_Alamy_2KDWYXH-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Public-recycling-bins-in-Malang-East-Java_Alamy_2KDWYXH-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Public-recycling-bins-in-Malang-East-Java_Alamy_2KDWYXH.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"Public recycling bins\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Public bins for organic waste, plastic and glass in Malang, East Java (Image: David Herlianto \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Public-recycling-bins-in-Malang-East-Java_Alamy_2KDWYXH.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"875 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Substitute materials for making disposable goods such as packaging and single-use cutlery have been touted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ap.org\/news-highlights\/spotlights\/2026\/traditional-plastic-forks-shed-harmful-microplastics-plastic-created-from-sugar-is-an-alternative\/\">some<\/a> as part of the solution to tackling plastic pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Franky Wibowo is head of marketing at PT Bersaudara Inti Corpora, an Indonesian company which supplies plastic raw materials for packaging. He said alternative materials often struggle to meet food safety and durability requirements for the cost, so many industries still depend heavily on plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor products that need strong protective barriers, especially food packaging, plastic is still cheaper, lighter and more durable,\u201d Wibowo told Dialogue Earth. \u201cA rice bag, for example, must withstand weight, transport and storage [requirements]. Many recyclable alternatives still cannot provide the same mechanical strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Korean company CJ Biomaterials has a facility in East Java manufacturing polyhydroxyalkanoates \u2013 biodegradable plastics made from bacterial fermentation of oils, sugars or food waste. Indonesian <a href=\"https:\/\/avanieco.com\/our-products\/\">companies<\/a> have also been producing biodegradable packaging made of crushed sugarcane stalks as well as cassava-based materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elis Nurhayati is chief executive and co-founder of Daya Data Komunitas, a technology start-up focused on community management of local natural resources. She warns that replacing plastics with other disposable materials, such as crop-based bioplastics or paper, might shift the environmental burden instead of solve the underlying problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPaper production can increase pressure on forests, while bioplastics may compete with food systems and agricultural land,\u201d Nurhayati said. \u201cThe solution is not replacing one disposable product with another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the country could strengthen longstanding reuse systems many Indonesians are already familiar with, says Tiza Mafira, a co-founder of Dietplastik Indonesia and director of the Climate Policy Initiative. For Mafira, reuse is \u201cthe most realistic alternative\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She gave the example of large refillable water dispensers and returnable cooking gas cylinders which have operated in Indonesia for decades. \u201cThat same model can be expanded for household products and food staples,\u201d Mafira said. In Jakarta and other large cities, refill stores encourage customers to fill up on staples like cooking oil, detergent and household products using their own containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/wedocs.unep.org\/items\/26984ecb-1a48-43b1-ada5-72a0d5c25851\">2023 study<\/a> by the UN Environment Programme found that reuse systems could reduce plastic pollution by 30% globally by 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nurhayati advocates for reuse and says restricting plastic to applications critical for societal functioning would stem unnecessary use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf waste reduction is directly connected to economic incentives, people will change behaviour much faster,\u201d she added. \u201cPublic pressure from environmentally and financially aware consumers could eventually force industries to decarbonise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-act-of-convenience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Act of convenience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consumers continue to rely on plastic packaging mainly because it\u2019s cheap and convenient, said Hilaludin, co-founder of Yayasan Rumah Pelangi, a community-based environmental organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEven when consumers want alternatives, such as wrapping food in leaves instead of plastic, those options are often harder to find and more expensive,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herlina Agustin of Padjajaran University said conventional plastics are artificially cheap because the price excludes environmental costs. \u201cThe public ultimately pays through pollution, waste and environmental damage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The challenge is not only replacing materials, but changing systems of consumption, she said. \u201cPeople may want reusable containers, but many places still do not support them,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet many of the solutions being promoted in Indonesia, including better <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/news\/press-release\/2025\/12\/18\/the-world-bank-approves-a-new-project-to-support-indonesia-achieve-solid-waste-management-targets\">waste segregation<\/a>, reuse systems and alternative materials, focus on plastics only after they have been produced, said Agustin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to her, Indonesia\u2019s environmental ambitions are difficult to reconcile with <a href=\"https:\/\/indonesiabusinesspost.com\/7017\/markets-and-finance\/indonesia-moves-to-enact-zero-percent-import-duty-to-support-petrochemical-industry\">policies<\/a> that continue to expand petrochemical production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs long as success is measured by ever-growing production and continuous expansion, we will keep looking for ways to make the same system appear greener,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we may need is not only new technologies, but a different idea of what is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEnvironmental communication should not be about making reality look better than it is. It should help us have an honest conversation about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reducing plastics dependence may be a better way to ensure supply and meet environmental and climate commitments<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000829,"featured_media":60147597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[760],"tags":[578,50042407],"hashtags":[],"country":[50040717],"class_list":["post-60147585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pollution","tag-plastics","tag-waste","country-indonesia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Carbon crossroads: Can Indonesia cut plastic waste and grow its petrochemical industry? | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta 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