With muscles against plastic bags

How a Body Builder and songwriter try to reduce plastic bag use on Bali

The other day I was looking at information on the exciting initiative – Tas Pasar (Market bag) – and today I met the person who initiated it. David, an Australian expat living on Bali for many years, wanted to do something about the plastic bag mess and came up with the idea to distribute reusable bags to small local shops, the warungs.

They are currently trying different things, but a promising approach is that hotels or other companies sponsor those bags. They get their logo printed on one side and then the reusable market-bags are given to the shop owners to distribute to their customers, or staff to use it for their shopping. The experimental approach he is taking is really interesting and I believe that this could be a valuable source of data for my research. The marketing is quite special, too. As you can see below, David got Komang Arnawa, a local natural body builder, to support the campaign. An impressive guy powerful enough to convince the shopping housewives?

Strongly recommended - "Bring your own bag"

Strongly recommended – “Bring your own bag”

David has been quite active promoting Tas Pasar via FB. It is not only a good source for more information about campaigns and its perception by the people, but I recommend it to everyone interested in the topic, it is very well done! Just have a look on the video clip they have produced:

The Balinese musician Gede Robi Supriyanto and his band Robi Navicula have come up with a song about rejecting plastic bags. In this interview you can read about Robi and his motivation. And below you can listen to his great song.

This is an attempt to translate the lyrics, below is the Indonesian original:

 

Reject plastic bag, reject plastic bag

Plastic plastic plastic

Reject plastic bag

 

Plastic bags leave with the sound

Blowing down the street

Getting washed to the ocean

Swimming along with the fishes

 

Plastik bags cause problems

Because they cannot be composted

So it is better to reject them

Oh it’s really not a difficult thing (to do)

 

Reject plastic bag, reject plastic bag

Plastic plastic plastic

Reject plastic bag

 

Every year they get washed out to the shores

Giving curse to the ocean

If that happens every year

Who wants to come to Bali?

 

Bali is a beautiful island

Plastic makes its skin ugly

Let’s play some music

Make Bali beautiful without plastic

 

Reject plastic bag, reject plastic bag

Plastic, plastic, plastic

Reject plastic bag

 

Bali is a beautiful island

Plastic makes its skin ugly

Let’s play some music

Make Bali beautiful without plastic

 

Reject plastic bag, reject plastic bag

Plastic plastic plastic

Reject plastic bag 2x

_____

 

Original Indonesian version:

 

Tolak tas kresek, tolak tas kresek

Kresek kresek kresek

Tolak tas kresek

 

Tas kresek keluar dari suara yang

Berkeliaran di jalanan

Hanyut menuju lautan

Berenang bersama ikan-ikan

 

Tas kresek bikin masalah

Karena tak bisa diolah

Jadi sebaiknya ditolak saja

Oh apa sih susahnya

 

Tolak tas kresek, tolak tas kresek

Kresek kresek kresek

Tolak tas kresek

 

Tiap tahun hanyut ke tepian

Bikin pantai kena kutukan

Jika tiap tahun begini

Siapa yang mau datang ke Bali

 

Bali ini pulau yang cantik

Kresek bikin kulitnya bersisik

Ayo kita mainkan musik

Bikin Bali cantik tanpa plastik

 

Tolak tas kresek, tolak tas kresek

Kresek kresek kresek

Tolak tas kresek

 

Bali ini pulau yang cantik

Kresek bikin kulitnya bersisik

Ayo kita mainkan musik

Dukung Bali cantik tanpa plastik

 

Tolak tas kresek, tolak tas kresek

Kresek kresek kresek

Tolak tas kresek  (2x)

Posted in Research.

Environmental Behavior, PhD Candidate.

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