AKSI : Demanding PT WINGS to Implement EPR and Reduce 30% plastic waste production

Police Securing the AKSI demonstration in front of the PT Wings Surabaya office

Demanding PT WINGS to Implement EPR, Reduce 30% plastic waste production and Clean up sachet leakage in Indonesian Rivers. Friday (November, 25. 2022) 20 Activists From AKSI (asosiasi Komunitas Sungai Indonesia/Indonesian Rivers Communities Association) Conducting a Demonstration in Front of the PT Wings Office on Jalan Embong Malang Surabaya, East Java. PT WINGS product sachet waste collected from all rivers in Indonesia was handed over by AKSI activists to PT WINGS management.

The demonstration went orderly with security from 50 police from the Surabaya Tegalsari Sector Police Office. Demonstration participants brought a statue of Dewi Sri which was entangled in sachet waste. Posters under demonstration participants demanding a 30% reduction in sachet packaging, EPR implementation and information on the threat of microplastics because PT WINGS is not responsible for the plastic sachet waste it has produced so far.

Rikat L.Sofyan, a history student at Malang State University who is the Demonstration Coordinator, explained that "the theatrical action was carried out based on a sense of concern over the results of the Brand Audit conducted by the Indonesian River Community Association - AKSI during 2022" which was carried out in 8 cities/regencies in East Java (Bangkalan, Magetan, Tulungagung, Gresik, Jember, Malang, Kediri and Sidoarjo) 5 Top Polluters in East Java, namely Wings (523 pieces of waste), Unilever (330 pieces of waste), Indofood (307 pieces of waste), Mayora (209 piece of trash) and Ajinomoto (183 pieces of trash). "From this data, Wings Group became the Top Polluters of plastic waste and sachets in East Java," added Rikat as the demonstration coordinator.

If we refer to the brand audit data that was successfully collected in various regions in East Java, it is clear evidence that there has not been serious handling from producers, one of which is the Wings Group, in terms of accountability and compliance with article 15 of Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning waste management, which explains obligations of every producer for the waste generated through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) efforts. This EPR is also listed in the Regulation of Minister of Environment and Forestry Number 75 of 2019 concerning a road map for reducing waste by producers. Producers must reduce as much as 30% of the waste generated. The producer referred to here, one of which is Wings Group, is obligatory and must be responsible for reducing the waste they produce. Based on the findings of 523 pieces of waste, it proves that Wings is still not optimal in carrying out EPR efforts.

"By looking at the regulations of Article 15 of Law Number 18 of 2009 and Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 75 of 2019, we are joined in this demonstration urging the parties to immediately take responsibility for the sachet waste from their company which is scattered in the environment of Indonesian rivers and seas originating from Wings", rikat added.