25 August 2025 – Global talks in Geneva on a treaty to end plastic pollution collapsed after two weeks without agreement. While international progress stalls, Indonesia is pressing ahead with its own plan. Four year long international research collaboration led by Brunel University of London has much to share in this regard.
The policy paper, Evidence-Based Strategies for Reducing Plastic Waste in Indonesia, sets out 26 practical steps, including phasing out dumping and burning, redesigning packaging, improving waste services, and supporting recyclers. Released just days after the Geneva talks ended, it provides a clear roadmap for national action.
Professor Joyashree Roy, Distinguished Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Director of SMARTS Centre, co-led the report writing with colleagues from Brunel University of London, including Professor Susan Jobling, Dr. Eleni Iacovidou, and Dr. Spyridoula Gerassimidou. The findings, from the PISCES (Plastics in Indonesian Societies) research programme, will directly inform Indonesia’s forthcoming National Plan of Action under a circular economy framework.
PISCES, funded by the UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund, brings systems-based evidence into policymaking by addressing plastic pollution across social, economic, cultural, technical, and governance dimensions. It emphasizes that solutions must go beyond technical fixes, requiring shifts in mindsets, social norms, legislation, and infrastructure. By working with policymakers, researchers, communities, and the private sector, the programme identifies barriers and interventions, particularly in cities with weak waste systems, while offering scalable, context-sensitive pathways relevant not only to Indonesia but also the wider Global South.
Emphasizing the stakes, Prof. Roy noted, “Indonesia can reduce its annual fiscal losses significantly through plastics management actions. We show with data and econometric models how the annual cost of action in Indonesia can be at least 15 times less than the cost of inaction.” The report highlights opportunities to cut waste at the source, strengthen governance, reduce single-use packaging, and improve waste management practices that can protect health, livelihoods, and the environment while reducing economic losses.
