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Small businesses adopt plastic-free diet

Choosing from a buffet-style array of enticing dishes at Warung Kecil in Sanur, a customer orders a custom-made nasi campur (mixed rice) and then reminds the staff that this is for take-away. “No plastic bag?” asks the customer as she is given a box with her food. “Sorry, we don’t use plastic bags,” says the staff with a smile, pointing to a sticker on the window emblazoned with the words PlastikDetox Bali.

This article was written for, and originally appeared, here balimarketplaceonline.com/.
 

Choosing from a buffet-style array of enticing dishes at Warung Kecil in Sanur, a customer orders a custom-made nasi campur (mixed rice) and then reminds the staff that this is for take-away. “No plastic bag?” asks the customer as she is given a box with her food. “Sorry, we don’t use plastic bags,” says the staff with a smile, pointing to a sticker on the window emblazoned with the words PlastikDetox Bali.

 

Warung Kecil, a small but successful eatery that attracts a dedicated clientele fond of healthy but good value Indonesian food (along with a spattering of paninis, cakes and salad), is one of the small businesses that have joined PlastikDetox, a campaign that grew from a concern about the colossal amount of plastic that is used -- and promptly discarded -- in Bali every day. The effort is paying off: Novie, the owner of Warung Kecil, estimates that they are saving up to 30 straws and 10 plastic bags per day - that’s thousands of plastic items kept out of the waste stream in one year.

 

On a small island that is heaving under the weight of more than 3 million people, and with very basic waste management and recycling facilities in place, the folks behind the campaign decided that something had to be done for businesses to reduce their plastic “footprint”. Rather than focus on large malls and supermarkets, the campaign has targeted small businesses that are more nimble in changing the way they operate. And to entice them to make this “green” commitment, PlastikDetox has sought to highlight their efforts (where successful) through Bali’s thriving publications and media scene, generating some free exposure for their business.

 

As of July 2013, PlastikDetox members include a couple of stores (Satvika Bhoga, Fair Trade Shop), cafes and restaurants (Maya Cafe, Manik Organik, Warung Kecil, Peekaboo, Batu Jimbar, Tandjung Sari), a laundry (Eco Laundry) and a bakery (Monsieur Spoon). More are set to join in the next few months.

 

This does not mean reducing the use of plastic bags and straws isn’t without growing pains. When your priority is to satisfy your customer, there is a strong urge to meet all their needs--even if it involves packing their order in a styrofoam box inside a plastic bag. PlastikDetox volunteers have spent hours training staff and talking with cafe, store and restaurant owners to help manage customer expectations.

 

In most cases, the phasing out of plastic bags has been a gradual process, with the inevitable hiccups along the way. Novie `recalls having to deal with an irate customer who was adamant that she was entitled to a plastic bag. Thankfully, extreme cases such as this one are far and few between, and over time customers respond positively to PlastikDetox members’ efforts to reduce the amount of needless plastic waste in Bali.

 

But if you can’t use plastic bags or straws, then what do you replace them with? The answer varies from one place to another. Monsieur Spoon sells reusable bags. Cafe Maya serves drinks with reusable, sterilized glass straws. Cafe Batu Jimbar relies on spoons. Admittedly, environment-friendly and cost-effective packaging solutions are far and few between, but the bottom line for PlastikDetox is the need to create new habits: drinking without straws is an option, and once its built as a routine, you can remember to bring your own bag when shopping.

 

PlastikDetox is more of a slow tide than a wave, but the important thing is that it does not slow down.