Bioplastics Industry Pushes to Tackle Indonesia’s 12 Million Tons of Plastic Waste
Main Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia faces an escalating plastic waste crisis, producing about 56.6 million tons of waste every year, of which 10–12 million tons are plastics that end up polluting land, rivers, and oceans. Industry leaders and government officials say bioplastics, made from locally sourced biomass, are emerging as a vital solution to curb the problem.
Bioplastics are developed from renewable raw materials such as sago starch and cellulose, offering faster natural decomposition compared with conventional plastics. The approach not only reduces pollution but also supports domestic agriculture by creating new demand for locally produced crops.
Joint Commitment to Accelerate Bioplastics Adoption
Industry players recently formalized a joint commitment to accelerate bioplastics development in Indonesia. The pledge was initiated by the Indonesian Sustainable Materials Association (AMBI) and Greenhope in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). It was endorsed by key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Environment, and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).
The statement underscored the private sector’s role in adopting sustainable packaging while urging stronger regulatory alignment from government to support the growth of the domestic bioplastics industry.
“Bioplastics adoption is an upstream innovation that can significantly contribute to solving Indonesia’s waste challenge, complementing downstream efforts such as waste-to-energy and refuse-derived fuel,” said AMBI Chairman Tommy Tjiptadjaja.
National Agenda for Waste Reduction
The government has integrated bioplastics into its broader development strategy. President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has included bioplastics utilization as Priority No. 11 in its national agenda, underlining their importance in daily life and environmental protection.
The latest National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), outlined in Presidential Regulation No. 12/2025, targets a comprehensive resolution of the waste problem by 2029. The plan combines multiple strategies, from promoting innovation in materials to scaling waste-to-energy projects, with active participation from central and local governments as well as communities.
Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Hendropriyono emphasized that industry must take a leading role in reaching these targets.
“Our target under RPJMN is a 50 percent reduction by 2025, yet we are only at 39 percent. Government cannot achieve this without businesses,” Diaz said, adding that regulations should support rather than hinder innovation.
Toward a Green Industry Future
The Ministry of Industry has already issued Green Industry Standards for bioplastic bags under Ministerial Regulation No. 55/2020. Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita noted that Indonesia has advanced its Net Zero Emission (NZE) target for manufacturing from 2060 to 2050, putting additional urgency on green product innovation.
“Like it or not, this is market driven. We want green products made in Indonesia to be more available than in other countries. Manufacturing accounts for 33 percent of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions and 40 percent of air pollution,” Agus said.