(15 Nov 2018) LEADIN:
An Indonesian city is turning trash into tickets to ride by launching special inner-city buses that take used plastic bottles in exchange for a trip.
The buses will support the city's bold target to be free of plastic waste by 2020.
STORYLINE:
Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya is on the frontline of the fight against plastic waste in the country.
The city has launched an inner-city bus fleet named "Suroboyo Bus" in April this year to encourage its residents to recycle plastic bottles.
Residents can pay for a ride on the bus with used plastic bottles.
For a single trip, they have the option of paying with ten plastic cups, five 500-ml plastic bottles or three 1.5-liter plastic bottles.
There are currently 8 single-deck buses and 2 double-deck buses as part of the fleet, with seating capacity from 40 to 68 passengers.
The buses serve 21 bus stops across the city.
People can exchange their plastic bottles with tickets either at designated bus terminals or directly on the bus.
Surabaya is the first Indonesian city to implement the unique scheme.
City officials argue that by giving practical value to plastic waste, residents will pay more attention to what they do with them.
"The Suroboyo bus teaches people how to recycle plastic bottles. To prevent plastic bottles from causing environmental problems, we ask residents to save the bottles and exchange them with bus tickets," says Agus Hebi Djuniantoro, Sanitation agency official of Surabaya city.
The special buses operate from 6am to 10pm.
They collect an average of 200 kilos of plastic bottles every day, with higher numbers on weekends.
Since its launch, the bus service has accumulated 39 tons of plastic waste from passengers.
Surabaya city records show that 15 percent of the city's daily waste is plastic.
"We aim to reduce as much plastic waste as possible. We want to reduce them from the source. We do this by encouraging each resident to get involved," says Agus.
Indonesia has been labelled as one of the biggest contributors for global plastic waste, after China.
Greeneration, an Indonesian foundation focusing on sustainable consumption and production, welcomed the Suroboyo bus's initiative as a step in the right direction.
But in order to turn the tide of plastic waste, the foundation is calling for behavioural change for all residents across the vast archipelago.
"It is an interesting and visionary policy. We must continue to evaluate the policy, its funding scheme and the role of all the stakeholders. Then we can replicate it to other cities in Indonesia," says Syir Asih Amanati, Chief Programme Officer of Greeneration Foundation.
The Suroboyo bus transports 1,500 to 2,000 people every day and has around a 70 percent occupancy rate.
Many residents are in support of this city's pilot project.
"To avoid having the streets littered with plastic bottles, we can give them value by keeping and exchanging them with bus tickets," says housewife Rupiyah.
"My children could keep plastic bottles in a box at home and exchange them with tickets to ride on the bus. This prevents them from throwing bottles away," adds another passenger, Rudi Hartono.
The city plans to add 10 more buses in the near future.
Surabaya has stated an ambitious target of becoming free of plastic waste by 2020.
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