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

  • ITS Australia launches Asia Pacific Student Scholarship program
    September 10, 2014
    The 2014 World Congress in Detroit provided the ideal venue to launch the ITS Australia Asia Pacific Student Excellence Scholarship program. The program offers sponsorships to up to 10 students representing ITS Asia Pacific associations to attend the 23rd ITS World Congress 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. ITS Australia CEO, Susan Harris, says: “ITS Australia created this Scholarship Program to support and encourage student participation, not just attendance, at the Congress, and to recognise student exc
  • Call for papers for ITS Glasgow and ITS Melbourne
    November 27, 2015
    Ertico-ITS Europe has issued a call for papers for the 11th European ITS Congress 2016 to be held in Glasgow on 6-9 June 2016 and the 23rd ITS World Congress, to be held in Melbourne on 10-14 October 2016. Deadline for submissions for ITS Europe is 13 January 2016. More information is available on the website. (link http://glasgow2016.itsineurope.com/) Deadline for submission for the ITS World Congress is 13 January 2016. More information is on the ITS World Congress website. (link http://www.itsworld
  • 2013 sustainable urban mobility plan award launched
    September 4, 2013
    The European Commission’s second annual award for outstanding sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMP) has been launched with the theme of the ‘integration of economic, social, and environmental policy criteria.’ The winning regional or local authority will gain Europe-wide coverage for their plan and a prize of US$13,000. A sustainable urban mobility plan helps cities and local authorities meet the transport needs of their citizens and businesses in an effective and sustainable way. The award recognises
  • Implementing innovative and green urban transport solutions
    August 5, 2013
    The European Solutions project on innovative and green urban transport solutions is calling for cities from Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean to become involved in the project's innovation activities as leading, take-up or training city. The main focus of the Solutions project will be on the exchange between cities from Europe, Latin America and the Mediterranean. Solutions brings together some of the leading experts and city networks from these regions, aiming to foster knowledge exchange a