Since last April, the Surabaya government in Indonesia has provided a unique bus service. Instead of paying with money, passengers are required to pay using plastic waste. For the past few months, the Indonesian government has been monitoring this new initiative to see if it is a good method to reduce plastic waste in the country.

Instead of paying with money, Suroboyo Bus passengers are required to pay using plastic waste, the most common one being bottles. For one-way travel, each passenger must exchange 10 cups of plastic bottled water, or five medium-sized plastic bottled water bottles, or three large plastic bottles of water.

“Because it is more comfortable, that's first, and it helps the environment, there is so much trash, it helps people in Surabaya and surrounding areas,” said Sita, a passenger who frequents the bus.

Passengers can exchange the garbage to the waste bank which then gives the Suroboyo Bus ticket stickers, depending on the amount of plastic waste deposited. Because the public interest is quite large, the local transportation agency developed bus routes from the west to the east of Surabaya. Previously, the Suroboyo Bus only served routes from the south to the northern part of the city. The bus fleet, which currently has 10 units, will add 10 more by the end of this year.

The unique bus service was initiated by Mayor Tri Rismaharini. “Our commitment is how to take good care of plastic waste. The whole world is confused, oceans are full of plastic waste. If we can collect and better manage, we would help the environment because the drivers in private cars would use this all together, our air would be cleaner, traffic is less crowded, so it has a lot of benefits,” said Tri.

Although the idea of this program is commendable, the conversation is now shifting towards the rising problem of waste management. In the initial Suroboyo Bus scheme, plastic waste obtained from passengers will be channeled to garbage banks throughout the city, totaling nearly 350 units. However, the distribution is now hampered because there is no official regulation that oversees the amount of plastic waste collected. That is what experts are concerned about and they are urging the local governments to start creating clear rules regarding waste management and monitor the economic value of the waste collected.

(Top image: Suroboyo Bus allows passengers to pay fare using plastic bottles. /CGTN Photo)