Plastic Prices Soar, Puan Maharani: We Can Use Leaves

House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani stated that the rising price of plastic should serve as a momentum to return to using packaging made from natural materials. According to her, leaves can be one alternative for food vendors.

She said that sellers are among those most affected by the plastic price increase. The price of plastic in Indonesia has now risen by 30 to 80 percent due to global geopolitical conflicts disrupting the supply chain.

In the past, the use of leaf packaging was often utilised instead of plastic. “Food or agricultural traders can return to utilising environmentally friendly packaging like that,” said Puan in her written statement, quoted on Saturday, 18 April 2026.

Moreover, according to her, the use of natural material packaging such as banana leaves or teak is still found in various regions. For example, in Central Java, which is used by sellers of traditional local foods to wrap dishes.

This PDI Perjuangan DPP Chair assessed that the use of natural packaging is also more effective than plastic. The utilisation of leaves as food wrappers, she said, can make food last longer and have a fragrant aroma.

“By using organic material packaging, business actors can not only avoid economic pressure due to high imported raw material costs but also increase selling value,” she said.

Puan explained that the utilisation of natural material packaging is also economical and environmentally friendly. Especially, she said, plastic causes an increasingly high ecological burden.

“While plastic prices are high, we can look for alternative packaging uses that also reduce plastic waste,” said Puan.

Puan understands that societal habits of often using plastic require a transition and adjustment to switch to natural materials. She asked the government to prepare a mature system and regulations to realise the use of alternative containers.

“If the system supports it, I am confident that it is not impossible for organic materials to replace single-use plastic packaging,” she said.