Bali. Tirta Investama, the company that produces Indonesia's oldest and most popular bottled water product Aqua, has just launched the first water bottle in Indonesia made of 100 percent recycled plastic. The new bottle was launched on Friday (15/02) in the tourist island of Bali, marking a milestone in the company's journey toward zero waste in 2025.  

The company, also known by its trading name Danone-Aqua, said it collects and recycles more plastic bottles than what it produces and sells in Bali. 

"We are fully committed to be a responsible company, that not only brings healthy hydration but also conserves nature," Corine Tap, Tirta Investama's president director, said in a press conference on Friday. 

Tirta Investama, controlled by French food giant Danone, aims to have all of its bottles in Indonesia to be 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Working with other foundations and NGOs, Danone-Aqua has a forefront mission to help the Indonesian government reduce ocean plastic waste by 70 percent of the current level by 2025.

Indonesia produced 67 millions tons of plastic waste last year—12.7 million tons of which end up in the ocean.

Bali's Plastic Problem

In Bali, authorities have imposed a ban on single-use plastic products like plastic bags, styrofoam cups and plastic straws, in a concerted effort to cut the amount of unnecessary waste being dumped on the once pristine island.

Tourists are getting used to the sight of plastic rubbish-strewn beaches after a high tide in Bali. 

"It is important to remember that plastic waste cannot be destroyed instantly. It will take a very long time, many years, to clean Bali of plastic," said I Dewa Surahardi, the head of Bali Environment Agency's waste management division.

Tirta Investama's new bottle will not use a plastic label. Instead, the Aqua brand will be imprinted directly on the transparent bottle. 

For the time being, the 100 percent recycled plastic bottles will only be available in selected supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and cafes in Bali starting this month.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Tirta Investama first launched a reusable plastic packaging for their liter jugs in 1983 as part of its mission to maintain a circular ecosystem in water, carbon dioxide and plastic.

Tirta Investama now has six recycle business units (RBU) in Bali, South Tangerang, Lombok and Bandung. It also collects 12,000 tons of plastic from garbage men, scavenger networks and its own company-sponsored drop boxes—available at selected supermarkets—each year.

The RBUs sort used plastic bottles based on plastic type, color and quality, crush them into plastic flakes and wash them to remove dirt and other foreign particles.

The cleaned plastic flakes are then melted and decontaminated to remove any toxins and make sure it meets food safety and halal standard before being shaped into new bottles.

The company also launched its #BijakBerplastik ("Use Plastic Wisely") campaign last year, which was aimed at increasing plastic waste collection and educating the public about responsible use of plastic.