waste management seems to be a perennial issue in Jakarta and Bali. When the beaches, streets and other places of interest are littered, it tarnishes the reputation of Indonesia as another beautiful country.
This is why Bruce Waterfield, Business Services Director of Coca-Cola Amatil, said it is the responsibility of the industry to the example to clean environments occur.
And of course, clean environments do not occur. In an era of manufactured and commercial packaging products, tonnes of waste are generated every day in Jakarta and Bali. And where littering still seems to be the norm, cleaning after a place is not just picking up trash it is to change mentalities and lifestyles.
When asked Jakarta Expat Coca-Cola Amatil to sponsor the next Clean Up Day Jakarta, Bruce found the project in line with what his company has already been done in Bali.
Coca-Cola Amatil and Reef Check Indonesia began on Bali Coastal Clean Up in 2008, following a market visit to Bali by the CEO of Coca-Cola Amatil, Terry Davis.
"In the rainy season, a lot of waste ends on the beaches of Bali," said Waterfield. "A lot of them do not come from Bali - some floating entire Java path that is about 100 kilometers across the sea There are days when the waste knees.." Garbage collection on these days could amount to 30-40 trucks a day.
"Bali is the gateway to Indonesia, such as Bali plays a big role in forming the perception of the rest of Indonesia international tourists," said Waterfield. "The majority of tourists who come to Bali go to the beach. During the wet season, these tourists are faced with a huge amount of waste."
According to Waterfield, about 22% of Bali international tourists come from 'Australia. "Why should not one of the largest Australian companies doing business in Indonesia play a role in making a positive impact on making the best environment for the Indonesians and tourists to enjoy?" Asked Waterfield.
Waterfield said the Bali Coastal Clean Up has removed more than 16,000 tons of waste 10 kilometers of the western coasts of southern Bali in Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Jimbaran and Kedonganan. "We are not interested in a simple country welfare, but to change the behavior of tens of millions of people in Java and Bali to waste management, to make a significant difference in the long term. The industry greater responsibility to do something positive every day on the environment from which it makes profits. "
Since a" cleaning day "would not be sufficient to achieve this objective, the Bali Coastal clean Up has become an ongoing project on a daily basis. Now, in partnership with Quiksilver and Garuda Indonesia, Bali Coastal clean Up currently employs 76 permanent employees working to clean the beach. Many of these workers were illiterate women when they started but have learned to read and attend courses on sustainable management of waste in a weekly program managed by the Foundation Roll.
Waterfield said he would like to see the Clean Up Day Jakarta sweat into something bigger every year more industry, more communities, and government participate.
this presents the biggest problem that many other waste is not recycled because they are perceived to be of no economic value. Waterfield said that innovation and technology, much of the waste generated in Indonesia may be recycled economically valuable products. "But the industry can not do both. We need government support to change the perception of people waste as a valuable asset for economic empowerment. "
In India and Europe, the plastic waste is recycled tiles, according to Waterfield. He said that if this innovation is still" new and untested "in Indonesia, there are companies that have their movement towards these innovations, like a Bali based startup that produces pellets for packaging of plastic bags discarded in landfills.
one of recycled Coca-Cola Amatil uniforms polyester for about 7,000 of their employees-made from PET bottles. the company's partnership with Quiksilver also produced a competitive price T-shirts Roxy made from a blend of organic cotton and recycled polyester PET.
in addition to recycling, the reduction is another important element of sustainable waste management. Coca-Cola made its own bottles on site so that it can control the bottle development process. Since 2008, Coca -Cola Amatil has reduced the amount of virgin PET used in the production of their bottles of 22%. Innovations are also used to manufacture lighter bottles than they were before.
"Consumers are creating demand for packaging and innovation resources," said Waterfield. "Today's consumers demand packaging that suits their needs. PET bottles light that are resealable, easy to carry, and 100% recyclable currently fulfill this need. But we must also be improved supply chain to capture waste when consumers end up using the product. "
Coca-Cola is promoting this responsibility on packaging labels. "But the message must also be available in different facets. Radio, TV and the community," said Waterfield "More importantly, the message must be good enough to change consumer behavior. The behavior is usually driven by incentives. If this means that our consumers get to live in a cleaner, healthier environment, and that is a reason to cooperate in this common effort to get there. "
In Bali, not only people benefited from the advantage of a cleaner and healthier environment. Since 2008, when starting the Bali Coastal clean Up, Coca-Cola Amatil and Quiksilver have also begun to support a local hatchery turtle project. Between 2008 and 2013, the project was saved and 74.598 hatched turtle eggs and chicks released to the sea.
giant incubation center in the shape of tortoise was also set up at Kuta beach. "This is a fun destination where tourists and locals can go and learn that turtles return to Kuta. There was a direct correlation between the now cleaner beaches and return of turtles to lay their eggs, "said Waterfield.