Recycling: Preserving the environment

Recycling: Preserving the environment

Plastic products are one of the main enemies of
environmentalists because, generally, they do not break down and
they do create problems. For the same reason, bottled water was
not viewed as environmentally friendly because its plastic
bottles and containers created litter and callous landfills. To
make the problem worse, most Indonesians are still not yet fully
aware of the need to preserve the environment. The result? Used
AQUA bottles scattered everywhere.

Basically, AQUA is packaged in four types of plastic: Poly
Carbonate, Poly Propylene, Poly Ethylene and Poly Ethylene
Therephthalate. The last type is usually called by its
abbreviation, PET. There are no serious problems with the first
three types of plastic because demand for them has always been
high. All three can easily be recycled and turned into plastic
products, such as plastic bags and toys. Because of the demands,
scavengers, who by necessity have become the locomotive of our
environmental protection, have always collected them and sold
them to recycling plants.

PET is the ideal choice for drinking water bottles and
containers because of its clear and odorless characters. However,
in the past, PET posed a major problem because this type of
plastic was not very recyclable . It requires a different process
and equipment to recycle bottles and containers made from it.
Therefore, most scavengers just ignored them. There was simply no
market for them.

It was for this reason that it was no surprise back in 1993,
that then minister of environment, Emil Salim, challenged PT AGM.
At a formal function during the International Bottled Water
Association convention that was held in Jakarta, he said, "I
challenge Tirto Utomo to also pioneer the efforts in tackling the
garbage problem created by his AQUA bottles and containers."

Hardly known to anybody at that time, long before that
milestone in PT AGM's history, the late Tirto Utomo, then
chairman of the company's board of commissioners, was already
searching for ways in which his company could collect their used
bottles and containers. Being the pioneer in the bottled drinking
water industry, he was also aware that his company was a
polluter, and he wanted to change that. Minister Emil Salim's
challenge only reinforced his determination in finding the right
solution.

Shortly after the international convention, which was hosted
by PT AGM, Tirto called a management meeting. He shared his ideas
with the others in the management, and the meeting came up with a
proposed program for collecting the used bottles and containers.

It was initially called PEDULI AQUA -- the word PEDULI being
the abbreviation for Pengembangan Daur Ulang Limbah Indonesia
(Indonesian Waste Recycling Program). It just so happened that
peduli is also an Indonesian word, which means care. Therefore,
subsequently, the name of the program was gradually changed to
AQUA PEDULI, which literally means "AQUA cares".

How does the program work? For every 500 ml or 625 ml bottle
of AQUA, the customer pays an extra Rp. 5, and Rp. 10 for every
1,500 ml bottle of AQUA. These extra charges are called Uang
Peduli (a token of caring). It is a token that shows the customer
cares about the environment and that he can appreciate an
environment-friendly product. If he returns the bottle to the
company, he will get double of what he paid. Thus, he will get
Rp. 10 for every 500 ml or 625 ml bottle, and Rp. 20 for every
1500 ml bottle returned.

Participation in the AQUA PEDULI program is not limited to
customers. The program also gives scavengers a strong incentive
to collect PET bottles, which formerly did not have any economic
value to them. For AQUA dealers and distributors, the incentive
is even more appealing, and they enthusiastically participate in
the program.

On February 1, 1993, the AQUA PEDULI program was launched at
the Citereup facility by Emil Salim, only one month after he made
his challenge.

Once the used PET bottles are collected, the grinding process
follows. The bottles are ground and turned into PET flakes. PT
AGM has signed agreements with a number of manufacturers and
exporters of plastic goods, whereby it is agreed that the company
will supply them with the flakes.

Are PET bottles then made of recycled ones? The answer is
absolutely no. Every single one of the AQUA bottle you find on
the market is brand new to ensure the highest level of
cleanliness. PET flakes are used to produce other plastic goods,
such as strapping bands, mats, fiber-fillings for dolls and
cushions, as well as chair covers. When exported, the flakes may
be used to produce synthetic textiles that are worn in countries
with cold climates, such as China and Russia.

What about the Uang Peduli collected from AQUA customers? In
1994, PT AGM donated Rp. 200 million to Yayasan Dana Mitra
Lingkungan (Environmental Partnership Funds). This foundation
provides funding for projects related to environment protection
and conservation, including public awareness programs.

Last March, the second donation was made, and the amount grew
to Rp. 600 million. All of this money came from Uang Peduli, the
money that AQUA customers have paid because they care about the
environment.

And what about the collection programs? So far, the results
have been very encouraging: Thirty percent out of all used AQUA
bottles are collected. More than anything else, the program's
success has spurred yet another economic and social consequence.

Inspired by PT AGM's successful efforts in collecting and
processing its own PET bottles, a number of scavengers and their
bosses have become small-scale entrepreneurs as well.

They collect PET bottles and containers not only from AQUA
products but also from many other products, such as from used
cooking oils bottles, grind them into flakes and sell them.

Needless to say, with their ardent participation, the portion
of used PET bottles and containers that get recycled in Indonesia
certainly far exceeds the 30 percent figure above.

Given the fact that in advanced countries the collection rate
is only 10 percent to 15 percent, PT AGM really has a reason to
be glad it took the initiative. (zia)