Laundry Entrepreneurs and Cilok Vendors Rack Their Brains to Counter High Plastic Prices
The increase in plastic prices is further strangling Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM), particularly in the culinary and laundry services sectors.
To survive, they are employing various methods to ensure they break even. Devi, the owner of a laundry business in the Ampenan Selatan neighbourhood of Mataram City, admits that the price hikes began to be felt since the end of Ramadan 2026. Several business needs, from plastic packaging to laundry perfume, have experienced significant surges.
“From the price of clothing packaging plastic to laundry perfume, the increases are drastic. The hikes vary; for clothing plastic bags of 1-2 kilograms (kg), one pack used to be Rp 15,000, but now it’s up to Rp 23,000. For 3-5 kg clothing plastic, it’s now Rp 37,000, from previously Rp 30,000,” said Devi, when interviewed by detikBali on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
Not only that, the price of laundry perfume solution has also risen considerably. For 5-litre packaging, the price that was previously Rp 119,000 now reaches Rp 165,000.
“For this laundry perfume, we usually buy the 5-litre one or one jerrycan, which cost Rp 119,000, now it’s up to Rp 165,000. It’s fine if it rises by Rp 1,000-2,000, but this is up by Rp 50,000, it’s crazy,” she complained.
Due to the plastic price increase, Devi has no choice but to adjust the tariffs for her laundry services to still break even. The wash and iron price, previously Rp 5,000/kg, is now Rp 6,000/kg. Meanwhile, wash-only or iron-only services have risen from Rp 4,000 to Rp 5,000/kg.
Although the laundry services have seen price changes, Devi says her customers are not bothered by the new rates at the moment.
“Because most of the customers are students, they don’t ask much. Alhamdulillah, there are still many who do laundry, (turnover) is thin, but alhamdulillah.
Meanwhile, a cilok vendor in Mataram, Sri, chooses a different strategy to face the cost increases. She does not raise the selling price but reduces the portion size.
“It’s not just plastic prices that are rising, but all staple goods prices are up, eggs are up, meat is up, everything is up. Rather than me raising the price, buyers won’t buy anymore, so I adjust from the raw materials. If usually Rp 5,000 buys 7 medium skewers, now Rp 5,000 gets 5 skewers,” she told detikBali on Wednesday.
Sri also counters packaging use by switching to smaller plastic sizes to cut costs. She even no longer provides extra plastic bags because their prices are getting more expensive.
“I use the small ones, because they’re cheaper. The increase is about Rp 2,000, now the price is Rp 5,000 per bag, from previously Rp 3,000 per bag. If usually we give customers plastic bags, now I don’t anymore, the plastic bag price is too expensive now. It can go up to Rp 5-10,000 for small and medium sizes,” she said.
“But alhamdulillah, my customers don’t protest. In fact, many ask for their cilok in their own bowls, because they know plastic prices are rising crazily,” she added.