Selling reissued household products such as liquid soap, shampoo, laundry soap, fabric softener, and cooking oil is one of the efforts to reduce plastic waste, amidst the proliferation of products packaged in small plastic or sachets. Pokka Shop in Wringinanom Village, Gresik Regency, is pioneering the sale of refills for various household products.
Tasya, the manager of the Refill Product Shopping Movement, said that those interested in shopping for refills or refill household products are starting to be noticed, although not everyone understands the concept. Fanaticism towards a product brand still influences people's choice to choose refill products. In addition, sellers of refill products are still not many compared to sellers of products in mini plastic packaging or sachets that have spread to remote villages.
“People's perception of refill “In general, it is a self-made product, so it is not a branded one. While the branded ones they trust more, because they already know the quality, the price, the usage they already know, so they trust more, the loyalty factor to the brand also influences,” he explained.
Surik, a housewife from Wringinanom Village, Gresik, started shopping for refill products for laundry soap, fabric softener, and dishwashing liquid. She said she got cheaper prices by shopping for refills, while also reducing plastic waste production. In addition to buying at shops near her house, residents are also facilitated by the existence of the service refill traveling by bicycle, so that they can be served directly in front of residents' houses.
“First of all, it reduces waste, it's more economical, it's cheaper (in price). Usually people are lazy if they walk too far like this (to the refill shop), then bring their own bottles, maybe if they come to your house, bring your own bottles, sir, ma'am (it's easier),” explained Surik.
Refill sales model or refill household cleaning products, is not a new thing. This method has been around for the past few years in internet-based digital media.
Imanuel Valentino, a Jakarta resident who studies in Malang, admitted that he was interested in starting a refill shopping to practice the plastic waste reduction movement. According to Imanuel, this refill shopping model is a concrete step to reduce waste, which must be increased by bringing direct sales closer to the community.
“There is one foundation or marketplace use that application for that refilinso use the application to order, from the application it will come to your house, this is interesting like that. In my opinion, it's okay to increase (selling refills), because you're looking for a strategic place that people can come to. Well, refill places like this are still rare,” he explained.
According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Indonesia's waste pile in 2023 will reach 36 million tons, and around 37 percent or 13 million tons are not managed properly. Of the global volume of plastic waste, 47 percent of single-use plastic packaging or sachets are the most polluting the environment.
The Executive Director of ECOTON (Ecological Observation and Wetland Conservation), a non-governmental organization that focuses on environmental issues and wetland conservation, is currently actively campaigning to stop plastic consumption because it plays a major role in polluting the environment, especially water.
Daru Setyorini said that efforts to reduce waste by providing refill products need to be encouraged and supported, including by the government, so that plastic waste, including… sachetnot further polluting the environment.
“The impact is because sachet This is not recycled, and the government does not provide waste collection services evenly, only 30 percent of the population receives waste services, waste sachet “This is what is very dominantly piling up in waters, in rivers, or being burned,” explained Daru Setyorini.
In addition to urging restrictions, or even a ban, on the industry producing single-use plastic packaging, Daru is encouraging the distribution of products with reusable packaging, or in a manner that… refillcan be expanded and reach all levels of society, especially the lower middle class.
“In the future, it is hoped that the system refill This could be even more widespread. It's just a shame that the models built by the industry, the company's location is still for the upper middle class, for example, the location is in a mall, or in an elite housing complex. In fact, the source of waste sachet “This is widely used in remote villages, or in villages with a lower economic class, and which are not covered by government waste collection services,” he added.
Daru added, although there are regulations governing the obligations of producers towards their product packaging waste, the government needs to strengthen the rules regarding the use of single-use plastic packaging. Including regulating and prohibiting advertisements that invite consumers to buy products with small sachet packaging.
According to him, advertising plays a big role in influencing people to buy a product, but many advertisements are misleading because they do not provide education and correct information regarding the impact of packaging waste on the environment if it continues to be produced. (pr/ka)
