Skip to main content

Commuters in Indonesia can exchange used plastic bottles for free bus trips

The city of Surabaya, Indonesia, is giving free bus rides to commuters who provide used plastic bottles as part of a strategy encourage recycling. This initiative is expected to serve the city’s ambition to eliminate plastic waste by 2020. Citizens can travel on red city buses by dropping off plastic bottles at terminals or can use the bottles to pay for their fares. Reuters says a two-hour bus ticket costs ten plastic cups or up to five plastic bottles, depending on their size. Labels and bo
October 31, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The city of Surabaya, Indonesia, is giving free bus rides to commuters who provide used plastic bottles as part of a strategy encourage recycling.

This initiative is expected to serve the city’s ambition to eliminate plastic waste by 2020.

Citizens can travel on red city buses by dropping off plastic bottles at terminals or can use the bottles to pay for their fares.

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Reuters false https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-environment-plastics-bus/plastic-to-ride-indonesians-swap-bottles-for-bus-tickets-idUSKCN1MX1OD false false%> says a two-hour bus ticket costs ten plastic cups or up to five plastic bottles, depending on their size.

Labels and bottle caps from the collected bottles are auctioned off to recycling companies. The money earned goes towards running bus operations and funding green spaces in the city in Java, Indonesia’s main island.

Irvan Wahyu Drajad, head of Surabaya’s transportation department, says Indonesia is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste in the world.
 
“Through this initiative, we hope to raise public awareness on the environment, especially issues that relate to plastic trash,” Wahyu Drajad adds.

Related Content

  • Inrix ranks U.S. most congested developed country in the world
    February 7, 2018
    The U.S. is the most congested developed country in the world, with drivers spending an average of 41 hours a year in traffic during peak hours, costing them nearly $305bn (£220bn) in 2017, an average of $1,445 (£1,042) per driver. The findings come from Inrix’s annual Global Traffic Scorecard, which analysed 1,360 cities across 38 countries. Additionally, the study revealed that the U.S. had three of the top five most congested cities globally, costing an economic drain upwards of $2.5bn (£1.8bn). Los
  • Berg Insight: free floating car sharing served 5.6m members 2017
    April 20, 2018
    Free floating car sharing services utilised 40,000 vehicles and served 5.6 million members in 2017, according to a report released by Swedish internet of things firm Berg Insight. The study also forecasted that membership of the service will reach 14.3 million using around 102,000 vehicles by the end of 2022. This service allows members to pick up and drop-off cars anywhere within a designated area where parking is allowed. Users can access available cars without prior booking or be required to schedule
  • Denso displays largest head-up display images to be used in a vehicle environment
    October 24, 2012
    Denso is showing what it says are the largest head-up display (HUD) images to be used in a vehicle environment. Its system – although in a slightly smaller format – has already been installed in Kia’s new K9 luxury car and Denso says it is in talks with US and European manufacturers over adopting the system. The image area produced by the HUD on Denso’s stand measures 230 x 90mm, with road information such as speed limits and directions being projected into the driver’s line of sight.
  • Russia’s OAO Zavod Prodmash seeks production partner
    March 20, 2018
    Russia’s OAO Zavod Prodmash is seeking to find a new producer for its new APM 110 P crash cushion, as the system goes through European testing and acceptance procedures. The crash cushion, which, as its designation suggests, can handle impacts of upto 110kp/h, has been evaluated by Transpolis of Lyon, France and successfully passed seven different tests, said sales and operations manager Dmitry Liganov. The certification process for the barrier is now under way he added and he hoped this would be finalised