Ecoton Demands 6 Things to the Diaper Industry

 Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (Ecoton) study has found that 21 fish species in the Brantas River in East Java are threatened by solid waste that is dumped into the water, including disposable diapers. https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/08/01/fish-in-brantas-river-ingest-disposable-diapers-study.html

Evacuation diapers at bridge - ECOTON Foundation https://www.bothends.org/en/Whats-new/Blogs/ECOTON-or-the-rollercoaster-of-Surabaya-/demands 6 things to PT UNICHARM Indonesia  for causing diaper waste pollution in Brantas River (Photografer : Fully Handoko)

PT UNICHARM Indonesia (PT UI) has a factory in Ngoro Mojokerto East Java. The factory produces more than 9 million pieces of diapers / day and has 60% market share of baby diapers in east java province, thus it should take reponsibility to properly manage diaper waste to prevent diapers dumping into Brantas River. Diaper waste threatens the river ecosystem and diaper waste compose the biggest percentage of inorganic waste in the Java Sea (21%). 

In Indonesia, diapers have inundated the Brantas river, the nation’s second-longest river. Many blame the widespread belief known locally as “suleten” for the crisis.https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/7x55ky/indonesian-rivers-flooded-diapers-mythSuleten is the local lore that anything a baby uses is connected to its soul, including diapers. According to this belief, burning or discarding used diapers in the garbage will harm the baby’s soul. The more desirable practise is to dispose of diapers in rivers or to bury them, which locals believe will keep babies cool and comfortable.

More than 50% composition of disposable diaper is plastic that is difficult to be recycled, moreover the plastic packaging will add more waste since the diaper is also sell in individual sachet.  Millions of Mamypoko brand diaper waste are found floating, buried, and degraded along the River. Mamypoko"s diaper waste is most commonly found (80%) compared to other brands (Sweety, pampers, huggies, Merries, GooN and Naughty Baby).

Dressed in a hazmat suit with boots, gloves and a mask, Diapers Evacuation Brgade  waded into Brantas River in the east of the island of Java. The toxic mess he was planning to clean up from a river that locals still rely on for their water: used diapers.traveling in a blue pickup truck emblazoned with a “Diaper Evacuation Brigade” badge. What they’d found in those rivers was the same as in rivers they’d surveyed elsewhere in Java: Nearly all of them were clogged with used disposable diapers, especially near bridges — the easiest spots from which to dump waste into waterways.https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/diaper-brigade-fights-a-chemical-crisis-in-javas-rivers/

Diaper waste will be degraded into plastic crumbs or microplastic with size less than 4,8 mm. About 80% of fish samples in the lower Brantas River (103 fish taken from brantas River)  contain microplastic in their stomach that will endanger native fish population. Microplastic contamination also poses serious threats to humans in the Lower Brantas river because there are 3 drinking water treatment companies (PDAMs) taken raw water at Lower Brantas to supply drinking water to the city inhabitants, they are  PDAM of Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Gresik city providing drinking water for  more than 4 million people. The microplastic will contaminate raw water of drinking water supply. Diaper waste often clogs the water intake pipe of PDAM.

In Indonesia, where the population has doubled to 270 million people in just 45 years, plastic diaper waste hit like a bomb. All over Java, the country’s most populous island, waterways are clogged with plastic trash, including used diapers. The Brantas River, a water source for 6 million people in the eastern part of the island, has become notorious for its diaper problem. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/baby-diapers-ocean-plastic_n_5cb77ea7e4b096f7d2db869b

ECOTON FOUNDATION sent a letter regarding the Demanding PTUI as producer of Mamypoko brand to fulfill extended producer responsibility on after used of diaper product by internalizing the cost for proper diaper waste management and consumer education to prevent improper disposal of after used diaper product. The letter was sent on Friday 28 December 2018, with Letter Number: 101 / SP-EC / XII / 2018, EF demanding PT UI to do action as follows.

1. Reduce the use of hazardous chemicals or hazardous and toxic materials components in diaper product and gradually eliminates the production of disposable diaper products and to develop washable reusable diapers product

2. Redesigning Mamypoko products by using materials that are easily biodegradable or recyclable

3. Providing collection containers or dropping point DROPPO, to collect diaper waste in every village along the Brantas river, especially on the bridge side, which is a favorite location for people to dispose diaper wastes.

4. Providing transportation of diaper waste from DROPPO to final sanitary landfill site (TPA) regularly, under collaboration with the municipal Environmental Protection Agency

5. Conduct diaper Evacuation from illegal dumping sites along the Brantas river

6. Providing instruction of after use disposal on the packaging  and warning label to not throw diaper waste improperly or into the waterways