The road to hell is supposedly paved with good intentions, and in Indonesia’s capital, one of these may very well be the half-hearted move by authorities, retailers and consumers to reduce the use of plastic bags.
Community groups have adopted the mission as part of their green initiatives, while the Jakarta administration and key businesses have pledged a plastic bag-free city by 2011.
However, the campaign is proving highly ineffective.
Several retailers now offer their customers reusable bags – at a price – but have not adequately trained their checkout clerks to promote these bags over free plastic bags.
(Source: The Jakarta Post)