Reduce Plastic Movement Encourages Tourism Transformation in Kampung Berseri Astra Gedangsari

Reduce Plastic Movement Encourages Tourism Transformation in Kampung Berseri Astra Gedangsari

JAKARTA: Traveling is synonymous with practicality. For instance, the use of disposable plastics. Unfortunately, from drink bottles to snack packaging, those items often become piles of waste left at tourist sites.

In response to this phenomenon, the tourism industry is starting to recognize the term sustainable travel, a traveling concept that promotes wiser and more responsible behavior towards the environment. By being eco-friendly travelers, tourists can contribute to creating an environment free of plastic pollution and reducing the use of disposable plastics while on vacation.

Astra, together with Astra Group companies and Astra foundations, initiated the Reduce Plastic Movement (Semangat Kurangi Plastik) to encourage people to reduce environmental pollution caused by single-use plastic waste.

The residents of Kampung Berseri Astra (KBA) Gedangsari, Yogyakarta also have several activities to reduce plastic waste. Their concern and awareness to protect the environment was triggered by the condition of a nearby river that has started to be polluted and filled with household waste such as plastic, baby diapers, and food scraps.

“It was worrying to see children had itches after they came back from playing in the river because of the large amount of rubbish that was thrown directly by residents into the river,” said Sri Dwi Prasetyo, the figure behind KBA Gedangsari.

Because of that, Dwi and his neighbors began to put waste bins around the river, provide routine education on the importance of household waste management, and implement a waste bank program that can simultaneously increase residents’ income amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, not only did the amount of waste in the river decrease by up to 70%, local residents now have the awareness to sort household waste properly and correctly.

Pottery & Banana Leaves
In KBA Gedangsari, the village asks tourists not to bring drinks in plastic packaging because there will be water jugs to refill their tumblers.

Not only drink containers, but food containers in KBA Gedangsari are also made from natural materials as an alternative to single-use plastic. Tourists can experience eating food served on banana leaves and having baskets made of environmentally friendly woven bamboo to carry KBA Gedangsari souvenirs.

Finally, as a tourist destination famous for its distinctive Gedangsari-patterned batik, KBA Gedangsari also educates consumers to care more about environmental sustainability by utilizing natural dyes in the batik coloring process and pouch bags as an environmentally friendly packaging option.

With the participation of its residents who work together to reduce the use of disposable plastic in their daily lives, KBA Gedangsari proves that changes in people’s behavior and habits can positively impact their life quality.

Reducing Plastic in the Astra Group & Astra Foundations
The Reduce Plastic Movement has been carried out in the Astra Group and Astra foundations since February 2020 to contribute to environmental protection. As of March 2021, the movement had successfully reduced 423.5 tonnes of plastic waste. The Group alone reduced 72.2 tonnes of plastic waste, while eighty-six of Astra Group-fostered waste banks throughout Indonesia managed the remaining 351.3 tonnes.

Astra carries out various kinds of plastic waste processing through the 6R program: refine, reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery, and retrieve to energy to ensure a sustainable environmental conservation program. Through the Reduce Plastic Movement, Astra hopes to reduce the amount of single-use plastic waste in Indonesia and encourage people to care more about the environment.

Astra’s efforts to maintain environmental sustainability are in line with Astra’s mission to Prosper with the Nation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets.

For further information, please contact:

Boy Kelana Soebroto
Head of Corporate Communications
PT Astra International Tbk
Ph.021-508-43-888

About Astra

PT Astra International Tbk was established in 1957 in Jakarta as a general trading company under the name Astra International Inc. In 1990, for the purpose of the company’s initial public offering (IPO), the name of the company changed to PT Astra International Tbk, followed by listing its shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the ticker code ASII.

Astra has developed its business by implementing a business model based on synergies and diversification within seven business divisions: 1) Automotive, 2) Financial Services, 3) Heavy Equipment, Mining, Construction & Energy, 4) Agribusiness, 5) Infrastructure and Logistics, 6) Information Technology and 7) Property.

Astra Group conducts business operations in all parts of Indonesia under the management of more than 238 companies, including subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, and was supported by more than 188,000 employees, as of March 2021.

As one of the largest national business groups in Indonesia today, Astra has built a strong reputation through offering a range of quality products and services, taking into account the implementation of good corporate and environmental governance. Astra always aspires to be the pride of the nation that participates in efforts to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people.

Astra's business activities strive to apply a balanced mix in the commercial aspects of business and non-business contributions through 9 foundations and a variety of sustainable social responsibility programmes, namely Astra Untuk Indonesia Sehat, Astra Untuk Indonesia Cerdas, Astra Untuk Indonesia Hijau and Astra Untuk Indonesia Kreatif.

Astra initiated the Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Awards programme, which has entered its eleventh year, and has given recognition awards to 397 young Indonesians, consisting of 70 national level recipients and 327 provincial level recipients in the fields of Health, Education, the Environment, Entrepreneurship and Technology, which are integrated with Astra’s wide range of community activities through 116 Kampung Berseri Astra and 755 Desa Sejahtera Astra initiatives in 34 provinces throughout Indonesia.

For further information, please visit www.astra.co.id & www.satu-indonesia.com, and follow Astra through Instagram (@satu_Indonesia), Youtube (SATU Indonesia), Facebook (Semangat Astra Terpadu) and Twitter (@satu_Indonesia).