Election 2024: No Single-Use Plastic Bottles in the Presidential Debate

Botol Plastik menjadi sumber pencemaran di Sungai 

·         In the vice presidential debate on January 21, 2024, the use of single-use plastic bottles was seen.

·         Responding to the use of drinking water in single-use plastic bottles in the series of Debates of Presidential Candidates [presidential candidates] and Vice Candidates [vice presidential candidates] for President of the Republic of Indonesia 2024, River Warrior Indonesia wrote to the General Election Commission so that there would be no more use of plastic bottles.

·         The KPU is expected to implement a refillable drinking water system, provide non-plastic cups/silver cups, and ask debate participants to bring tumblers. This proposal is expected to have a positive impact on the next presidential and vice presidential candidate debate agenda.

·         Waste policy was not discussed in depth at the vice presidential debate. There are already 114 districts/cities in Indonesia that prohibit the use of plastic bags.

"Greetings, I am Thara Bening Sandrina. We are campaigning to reduce the use of single-use plastics while addressing the use of drinking water in single-use plastic bottles in the series of Debates of Presidential Candidates [presidential candidates] and Vice Candidates [vice presidential candidates] for President of the Republic of Indonesia 2024."

That was the opening of a letter from the Coordinator of River Warrior Indonesia to Hasyim Asy'ari, Chairman of the General Election Commission [KPU]. The letter was sent through the Wringinanom Branch Post Office in Gresik Regency, East Java, on Monday [29/1/2024].

KPU has the role of transforming the values of environmental awareness in building Indonesian democracy.

"Also, encouraging the birth of national leaders who are committed to saving the earth."

The student of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine at Airlangga University said that her proposal not to use single-use plastic bottles has positive points.

"Reducing plastic waste, education, efficiency, and social accountability."

Thara proposed that the KPU implement a refillable drinking water system, provide non-plastic/glass cups, and ask debate participants to bring their tumblers. This proposal is expected to have a positive impact on the next presidential and vice presidential candidate debate agenda.

" This case was found in the vice presidential debate on January 21, 2024. In fact, on social media the photo in question had circulated," explained Thara, confirmed Monday [1/29/2024].

Prigi Arisandi, Executive Director of Ecoton Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation [Ecoton] said, what was voiced by River Warrior, should be a concern for the KPU.

"The committee should not provide or use plastic bottles in the presidential-vice-presidential debate," he explained, Wednesday [31/1/2024].

Plastic issues are also a global concern. In April 2024, there will be a global meeting in Ottawa to discuss the plastic treaty.

"I agree with the letter that represents Gen Z. This is because plastic bottles contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics," he said.

In a study published in the Elsevier Journal entitled "Characteristics of nano-plastics in bottled drinking water", it was explained that nano-plastics in bottled drinking water allegedly pose a higher risk to human health than microplastics.

"Plastic pollution in water threatens the environment and human health. Previous relevant studies have focused on macro- and microplastic pollution and their characteristics. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of nano-plastics in our drinking water systems, mainly due to difficulties in their isolation and analysis."

A study quoted from Healthline showed that, on average, one liter of bottled water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments. These are known as nanoplastics. Nanoplastics are a cause for concern because they are difficult to detect and can cross the gut, tissue, and blood-brain barriers, leading to serious health impacts.

"Plastics often contain heterogeneous mixtures of various chemicals that endow certain types of plastics with their functional and structural capabilities. Many of these chemicals, once they leave the plastic packaging in the form of microplastics and nanoplastics, may act as endocrine disrupting chemicals," explains Christopher Hine, from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.

Plastic waste is a problem in Indonesia

Tiza Mafira, Executive Director of Diet Plastik Indonesia, regrets the provision of plastic bottles by the debate organizers.

"This is a simple thing that the KPU can do. Regulations are needed that require the prevention of massive use of single-use plastics," she said, Thursday [1/2/2024].

Unfortunately, waste policy was not discussed in depth at the vice presidential debate. There are already 114 districts/cities in Indonesia that prohibit the use of plastic bags.

"I encourage these cities to limit other single-use plastics, especially sachets, styrofoam, straws, and plastic cutlery. I also encourage other cities to immediately ban single-use plastics," she explained.

The 2023 Nusantara River Affairs Research Agency [BRUIN] census, conducted at 64 points in 28 districts/cities in 13 provinces, shows that plastic waste is a major problem in Indonesia.

There were 25,733 plastic waste, especially sachet packaging, found during the activity.

The top 10 contributors to plastic waste in the waters were unbranded plastic waste [37%], Wings [16.4%], Unilever [12.3%], Indofood [10.1%], Mayora [8.1%], PT Santos Jaya Abadi [5.6%], Unicharm [2.4%], P&G [2.3%], Garudafood [2%], and Ajinomoto [1.8%].

By product, food waste dominated, followed by wrappers, household appliances, personal care, and smoking equipment. 

Source : https://www.mongabay.co.id/2024/02/04/pemilu-2024-jangan-ada-botol-plastik-sekali-pakai-dalam-debat-capres-cawapres/