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)