The increase in plastic prices is further strangling Micro, Small,\nand Medium Enterprises (UMKM), particularly in the culinary and laundry\nservices sectors.<\/p>\n
To survive, they are employing various methods to ensure they break\neven. Devi, the owner of a laundry business in the Ampenan Selatan\nneighbourhood of Mataram City, admits that the price hikes began to be\nfelt since the end of Ramadan 2026. Several business needs, from plastic\npackaging to laundry perfume, have experienced significant surges.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the price of clothing packaging plastic to laundry perfume, the\nincreases are drastic. The hikes vary; for clothing plastic bags of 1-2\nkilograms (kg), one pack used to be Rp 15,000, but now it\u2019s up to Rp\n23,000. For 3-5 kg clothing plastic, it\u2019s now Rp 37,000, from previously\nRp 30,000,\u201d said Devi, when interviewed by detikBali on Wednesday\n(15\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
Not only that, the price of laundry perfume solution has also risen\nconsiderably. For 5-litre packaging, the price that was previously Rp\n119,000 now reaches Rp 165,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this laundry perfume, we usually buy the 5-litre one or one\njerrycan, which cost Rp 119,000, now it\u2019s up to Rp 165,000. It\u2019s fine if\nit rises by Rp 1,000-2,000, but this is up by Rp 50,000, it\u2019s crazy,\u201d\nshe complained.<\/p>\n
Due to the plastic price increase, Devi has no choice but to adjust\nthe tariffs for her laundry services to still break even. The wash and\niron price, previously Rp 5,000\/kg, is now Rp 6,000\/kg. Meanwhile,\nwash-only or iron-only services have risen from Rp 4,000 to Rp\n5,000\/kg.<\/p>\n
Although the laundry services have seen price changes, Devi says her\ncustomers are not bothered by the new rates at the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause most of the customers are students, they don\u2019t ask much.\nAlhamdulillah, there are still many who do laundry, (turnover) is thin,\nbut alhamdulillah.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a cilok vendor in Mataram, Sri, chooses a different\nstrategy to face the cost increases. She does not raise the selling\nprice but reduces the portion size.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just plastic prices that are rising, but all staple goods\nprices are up, eggs are up, meat is up, everything is up. Rather than me\nraising the price, buyers won\u2019t buy anymore, so I adjust from the raw\nmaterials. If usually Rp 5,000 buys 7 medium skewers, now Rp 5,000 gets\n5 skewers,\u201d she told detikBali on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Sri also counters packaging use by switching to smaller plastic sizes\nto cut costs. She even no longer provides extra plastic bags because\ntheir prices are getting more expensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI use the small ones, because they\u2019re cheaper. The increase is about\nRp 2,000, now the price is Rp 5,000 per bag, from previously Rp 3,000\nper bag. If usually we give customers plastic bags, now I don\u2019t anymore,\nthe plastic bag price is too expensive now. It can go up to Rp 5-10,000\nfor small and medium sizes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut alhamdulillah, my customers don\u2019t protest. In fact, many ask for\ntheir cilok in their own bowls, because they know plastic prices are\nrising crazily,\u201d she added.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/laundry-entrepreneurs-and-cilok-vendors-rack-their-brains-to-counter-high-plastic-prices-1776243065", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }