Aqua takes serious steps in promoting circular economy by launching a fully recyclable bottled water AQUA Life in Jakarta and continuing its campaign #BijakBerplastik.
As Jakarta temperature is particularly hot during the day, mineral water becomes the daily consumption among Jakartans to stay hydrated. A bottle of water is cheap and quite affordable. People may take it for granted. It is available at convenience stores and traditional warung basically everywhere.
It doesn’t mean anything to throw away IDR 3,500 bottled water after finishing the drink. With around 10 million population in the capital consuming mineral water, how many plastic bottles are thrown away every day? People need to question, where do all the plastic bottle waste go?
In Jakarta capital region, groundwater pumping is prohibited to avoid land subsidence, according to the Governor's Decree (KepGub) No. 279 in 2018. The quality of boiled groundwater is not recommended for consumption because of overexploitation and land degradation from chemical contamination within Jakarta’s soil. Bottled and gallon water are the best option for daily consumption as it is produced to meet hygiene standards, making it safe to consume.
The biggest bottled water company, PT Aqua Golden Mississippi has been providing its products for Indonesians since 1973 through its popular brand Danone-AQUA. Among other bottled water products in Indonesia market, Danone-AQUA is the pioneer for sustainable movement by running #BijakBerplastik or Plastic Wise campaign and other environmental programme. Fully recyclable bottled water, AQUA Life is now available in Jakarta since the launching of this eco-product in Bali on October last year. The company aims to reduce single-use plastics by producing a packaging from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).
Supplying drinking water from Sabang to Marauke, Danone-AQUA is aware of the environmental cost of their products as the company produces large amounts of plastic packaging beside its glass packed products, namely the returnable Glass Bottle 380ml. Danone-AQUA markets four products in plastic packaging made from Polypropylene, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and Polycarbonate (PP). Its reusable 19 litre gallon water is covered with Polycarbonate, a durable plastic with long life cycles. Gallon water also makes up 70 per cent of Danone-AQUA’s businesses.
As part of its #BijakBerplastik campaign, Danone-AQUA is committed to develop the infrastructure for waste collection, educate their consumers about plastic, and invest in product innovation. The company has been finding solutions to solve plastic waste problem in Indonesia through many collaborations as they support the government’s target of reducing 70 per cent plastic waste in the ocean by 2025.
Corine Tap, President Director of Danone-AQUA said, the company aims to achieve the target to be fully recycle reusable, and compostable in product packaging by the year 2025. Tap added that the company put also an ambition to generate the proportion of recycled material for the bottled water by 50 per cent.
“We can’t solve this problem alone. We need to collaborate together. That’s why we invite scavengers, community, public figure, NGO, government including our competitors, to make Indonesia clean,” Tap stated during her remarks in AQUA Life launch at Gandaria City on 7 August.
Waste problem in Indonesia is a pressing matter since plastic around 25,000 tonnes of plastic is produced per day, with at least 20 per cent of which is believed to end up in rivers and coastal waters. Since 1993, AQUA Peduli has been able to collect 12,000 tonnes of plastic per year and proceed to process the waste at six recycle management units across Indonesia. The company also invests in watershed protection to create access to clean water.
Danone-AQUA has launched AQUA Life in Jakarta to expand the market of its recycled bottled water and promote recycling movement to Jakarta audiences. The company has collaborated with Indonesian artists, such a Rebellionik, Ika vantiani, Alfiah Rahdini and Tam Illi to establish artworks and installation from plastic waste. In partnership with heySTARTIC and Precious Plastic Indonesia to create decorative to fashion products from plastic waste. As a part of education, Indonesian model and triathlon athlete Kelly Tandiono and environmentalist Hamish Daud have joined AQUA as brand ambassadors to promote #BijakBerplastik campaign to public.
“Circular economy is the best way to do the business. We need to change our perception of plastic as a valuable material. Those are among the initiatives to avoid plastic waste ending up in the landfill by using it again as a raw material for production,” Tap added.
Ngakan Timur Antara, the Chief of Industry Research and Development at the Ministry of Industry referred to Industry 4.0 as a middle ground that is able to support both business and environment. According to him, consumer goods companies need to apply the model in their business by involving advanced technology to establish an industry that is more energy efficient.
“Of course, we need to support the industry for economic growth but could not sacrifice our environment as a platform for economic activities. It’s important to start applying circular model in our business to create a new economic cycle for community and the environment,” Antara said.
Discover the hashtag #BijakBerplastik on Instagram @sehataqua or visit the website on www.sehataqua.co.id. Invite your friends and join the movement with Danone-AQUA.
