It's been almost three years, since the local government of my hometown, Banjarmasin, banned the use of plastic bags in modern shopping places all over the city. So, it has become a habit for my mom to bring her own reusable bag everywhere.
But it doesn't necessarily mean that she becomes an anti-plastic-bags overnight, like I do. She still shops with a lot of plastic bags in traditional markets and everywhere outside of the air-conditioned shopping centers.
But it doesn't necessarily mean that she becomes an anti-plastic-bags overnight, like I do. She still shops with a lot of plastic bags in traditional markets and everywhere outside of the air-conditioned shopping centers.
I used to think that the regulation doesn't do anything much but merely a slight decrease of plastic bags consumption. But now, that I've lived in two different cities (Banjarmasin and Semarang) as an extreme anti-plastic, I know that the rule has done something way more than that.
It teaches the people that plastics are harming the environment, plus, giving a sample behavior to that new lesson, by banning the plastic bags. It may change people's behavior, though it's just in a very limited condition, but it's not the ultimate goal. The educational purpose is.
It teaches the people that plastics are harming the environment, plus, giving a sample behavior to that new lesson, by banning the plastic bags. It may change people's behavior, though it's just in a very limited condition, but it's not the ultimate goal. The educational purpose is.
The difference I noticed from both cities, which the other (Semarang) doesn't have this regulation, is that, people in Semarang don't even aware of the 'why' of my explicit behavior: refusing the plastic bags. A pecel seller would say: "sudah banyak plastik ya di rumah;" as an ayam geprek seller say, "hemat ya, Mbak;" or a nasi uduk seller say, "aduh, ini panas, Mbak;" and a chocolate drink seller say, "ndak tumpah, Mbak?" and the list goes on.
My fast conclusion is, those kind of responses are said only by people whose minds never been told that plastics harm the environment. They lost the most basic ingredient to changing a behavior: education, which become something that Banjarmasin people has been receiving since 2016.
My fast conclusion is, those kind of responses are said only by people whose minds never been told that plastics harm the environment. They lost the most basic ingredient to changing a behavior: education, which become something that Banjarmasin people has been receiving since 2016.
So, when I'm home, people would not say things like Semarang people do. Instead, they say almost similar words to "cinta lingkungan lah;" or "andak di tas kah?" when I opened my backpack; or just simply not saying a word and put the stuff I purchase without packaging.
I'm mostly pissed off by Semarang sellers because of their false assumptions, but here at home, I could say that I'm proud of what I'm doing, because people know the real 'why' behind my action.
I'm mostly pissed off by Semarang sellers because of their false assumptions, but here at home, I could say that I'm proud of what I'm doing, because people know the real 'why' behind my action.
As plastics are that main pollutant to our rivers here in Banjarmasin and rivers play vital roles in our lives, I think, more people should be, at least, know that plastics are harming our rivers, though we don't directly dump them on streams, but still, we never know where the plastics reach their ends.
But as for now, I can't be more thankful to our local government for setting a stepping stone for this city to be less wasteful.
But as for now, I can't be more thankful to our local government for setting a stepping stone for this city to be less wasteful.
Sincerely,
A proud Banjarish
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