Bus tickets paid from plastic waste, Surabaya becomes international media spotlight

News24xx.com -  Since April, Surabaya has launched a new mode of public transportation: the bus line, whose ticket is paid for by plastic waste, for example a glass or plastic bottle. The idea is became the international spotlight now.

Suroboyo buses are no different from other buses in major cities in Indonesia. What makes it special is that taking this bus can only pay with plastic. 

For example, by exchanging 10 glasses or 5 plastic bottles for one ticket that is valid for two hours. If you have a lot of plastic waste, you can swap at the same time at the terminal.

This is one of the ways the second largest city in Indonesia is to pursue ambisus targets: plastic waste free by 2020. Surabaya is the first city in Indonesia to implement this scheme.

International media are busy preaching this policy, including the online edition of Germany's biggest news magazine "Der Spiegel".

"Garbage, like plastic bottles, accumulates in my environment, so I brought it here so that the environment is not only clean, but also helps ease the workload of garbage collectors," said Surabaya resident Linda Rahmawati to Reuters international news agency.

City data shows that 15 percent of daily waste, or nearly 400 tons, is plastic waste. A bus can collect up to 250 kg of plastic bottles a day, or about 7.5 tons a month. 

Bottles and plastic cups collected are then sold to recycling companies.

The money obtained from the sale of plastic waste is used to run bus operations and to fund the city's green space.