Islamic organizations to reduce plastic sewage in Indonesia

Muslims perform an afternoon prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, May 21, 2018. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Indonesia’s two largest Islamic organizations, which together are estimated to have 80 million members, will contribute to a campaign against plastic pollution.

 

The campaign was launched this week by the country’s environmental department and the organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

“We hope the participation of the NU and Muhammadiyah will make this a massive movement,” said Rosa Vivien Ratnawati at the Ministry of the Environment.

Indonesia has 260 million inhabitants and is often called the world’s most populous Muslim country. A significant proportion of the population belong to either the NU or Muhammadiyah.

In Indonesia, plastic waste is an extensive problem, as in many other countries. Plastic bags are free in the stores, and large amounts of waste end up in the natural environment every year.

The problem received more attention last year after a British diver filmed himself while he swam in a “soup” of plastic on Bali’s holiday island.The video was posted on YouTube.

Internationally, the problem was discussed last year, partly because of the whale found with the belly full of plastic bags at Sotra outside Bergen, Norway.

The authorities in Indonesia have determined to reduce the plastic sewage in the sea by 70% by 2025. Rosa Vivien Ratnawati told about the new campaign on Friday, while World Sea Day was marked around the world.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today