Reduce Plastic Movement in Kampung Berseri Astra Talagasari

Reduce Plastic Movement in Kampung Berseri Astra Talagasari

JAKARTA: It was bright and early in Talagasari. One lady left her kitchen in a hurry and to head to a place not far from her home.

Sukmawati, a resident of Kampung Berseri Astra (KBA) Talagasari, Balaraja District, Tangerang, Banten, regularly visits the local waste bank as a commitment to reducing single-use plastic waste.

Sukmawati and other KBA Talagasari residents hand over plastic waste to the local waste bank for further processing. A total of 136 KBA Talagasari households can reduce as much as 844 kilograms of plastic waste per month on average, which means they have collected 10.2 tonnes of plastic waste in total since July 2019.

KBA Talagasari waste bank implements the 3Rs, namely reduce, reuse, and recycle in managing plastic waste. The residents convert those plastic waste into various products such as eco-bricks, drinking water containers, tissue boxes, fruit bowls, and women bags. This program creates a circular economy that greatly benefits the residents.

“We usually sell these products to friends, and sometimes we sell it through social media. The prices range from Rp50,000 to Rp150,000, which is good enough as additional income for me and also for other craftswomen,” said Sukmawati.

There are no more plastic wastes scattered in the neighborhood as the community collects and process them. The waste bank, formed in July 2019, has served its purpose. It now has 136 members and over ten million rupiahs in savings.

KBA Talagasari is one of the 116 KBAs spread across Indonesia that have implemented the Semangat Kurangi Plastik (reduce plastic movement) initiated by Astra in 2020.

Over 418 Tonnes of Plastic Waste Reduced
As of December 2020, within eleven months after the Reduce Plastic Movement was launched, Astra had successfully reduced 418 tonnes of plastic waste. Astra Group itself reduced 58.1 tonnes of plastic waste, while 70 Astra’s fostered waste banks across Indonesia managed the remaining 360 tonnes.

Astra processes its plastic waste by carrying out the 6Rs program: refine, reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery, and retrieve to energy, which generates not only handicrafts but also fuel.

Seventy-two Astra Group companies and foundations take part in the Reduce Plastic Movement, involving 7,089 employees.

“Communities are expected to play an active role in reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastic wastes that are not properly utilized or processed. Astra encourages everyone to reduce the use of single-use plastics to prevent the accumulation of plastic waste, thereby making the world a better place,” said Astra’s Chief of Corporate Affairs, Riza Deliansyah.

The plastic waste problem is not easy to solve that it requires collaboration with other parties. In managing plastic waste, Astra provides education and mentoring to all Kampung Berseri Astra (KBA) throughout the country, consistent with Astra’s sustainable social contribution in the environmental sector.

Astra’s spirit in reducing and utilizing plastic waste is in line with Astra’s mission to prosper with the nation.

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 segments, consisting of: 1) Automotive, 2) Financial Services, 3) Heavy Equipment, Mining, Construction & Energy, 4) Agribusiness, 5) Infrastructure and Logistics, 6) Information Technology and 7) Property.

Astra conducts business operations in all parts of Indonesia under the management of more than 238 subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates companies, and was supported by more than 187.365 employees, as of January 2021.

As one of the largest national business groups today, Astra has built a strong reputation through offering a range of quality products and services, taking into account the implementation of good corporate governance 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.

Therefore, 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 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 a decade this year, and has given recognition awards to 305 young Indonesians, consisting of 59 national level recipients and 246 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 87 Kampung Berseri Astra and 645 Desa Sejahtera Astra initiated 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).