Change plastic bottles to get bus and city tickets and clean and reduce traffic jams

This week, there appeared some beautiful pictures in the newspaper showing many children and adults holding bags filled with bottles and plastic glasses standing in line at the station to exchange for . bus tickets.

"This is a very smart solution. Instead of throwing away plastic bottles, people now pick them up and bring them to exchange free tickets , " said Fransiska Nugrahepi (a 48-year-old resident).

That's what is happening in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, located on Java Island. This city of 2.9 million people is implementing a plastic garbage exchange program for bus tickets and the first city of the island nation to implement such an idea.

A ticket seller collected used plastic bottles to replace bus tickets on a bus in Surabaya city of Indonesia (photo taken July 21) - (Photo: AFP).

Under the above program, 3 large plastic bottles, 5 medium-sized plastic bottles or 10 plastic cups will exchange a bus ticket with a 1-hour journey. The exchange condition is that they are not distorted and are washed, intended to be delivered directly to recycling processing plants.

People can bring plastic bottles directly to offices at stations and bus stations to exchange tickets. In addition, Surabaya city added 20 nearly new buses, with each car being equipped with recycling bins and ticket staff to collect plastic bottles left by passengers.

This interesting solution is rated "perfect both". Franki Yuanus, a local traffic official, said the program has helped reduce waste to the environment, and has solved traffic congestion in the city by encouraging people to use public transport. plus.

Edo Junianto, a bus ticket clerk, said Surabaya city is currently quite clean, no longer seeing more garbage on the street. He hopes this program also helps raise children's awareness.

According to the AFP news agency, the local government in Surabaya said nearly 16,000 passengers are changing plastic waste to get weekly bus tickets. Each month, approximately 6 tons of plastic waste is collected from passengers and then transferred to recycling companies.

Not only Surabaya, many other places in this country of about 17,000 islands are also trying to solve the problem. At the end of last year, Indonesia's Bali tourist island issued a ban on the use of disposable plastics such as plastic shopping bags and plastic straws. The new policy aims to cut 70% of plastic waste in the waters around Bali island in 2019.

70%

Indonesia is currently the country discharging the world's second largest plastic waste, after China. The government pledged to reduce plastic waste dumping into the sea by 2025 by increasing recycling, raising people's awareness and limiting the use of disposable plastic.

Good initiative in India and Turkey

At the end of May, Akshar school with many poor students in India's Assam state received many compliments when it came to collecting fees with plastic bottles and plastic bags. Each week, 110 students bring about 25 samples of plastic waste to the school and are allowed to attend free classes.

Meanwhile, the city of Istanbul of Turkey has installed a number of garbage converters to get tickets automatically at the subway station to form good habits for people. Passengers who drop cans and plastic bottles will receive a corresponding amount of money and then exchange for train tickets.