Plastic Free Picnic: Jakarta’s Community Celebrates Reuse
To celebrate Plastic Free July, Plasticdiet Indonesia, along with Divers Clean Action, EcoNusa, Greenpeace Indonesia, Indorelawan, WALHI, Pandu Laut, and Pulau Plastik have run the Plastic Free Parade in Indonesia since 2019.
With hundreds of organisations, communities and individuals from across the region taking part, the yearly march has called for a reduction in single-use plastic, particularly through regional government policies and responsible business practices for managing waste in the region.
In 2024, the organisations introduced a new concept – a Plastic Free Picnic or ‘Piknik Bebas Plastik’ – featuring the same spirit of reuse, and bringing together communities across Indonesia to reduce single-use plastics and encourage reuse.
How it began: from parade to picnic
As the Plastic Free Parade evolved to reach a wider audience and take a more practical, solutions-focused approach, it grew into the Plastic Free Picnic – a community and family-friendly gathering that offers a space to learn, connect, and celebrate the power of small changes.
During July 2025, the vibrant city of Jakarta played host to the much-loved second edition of Piknik Bebas Plastik, in one of the biggest parks in Jakarta. Designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution and champion better waste management, this joyful event has become a cornerstone event during Plastic Free July in Indonesia.
So what exactly are Plastic Free Picnics?
Plastic Free Picnics are all about putting waste reduction – especially plastic – front and center. They’re a fun way to reach new people and get them thinking about how single-use plastics affect our environment and health, helping to spread awareness of the issues, while implementing Reuse Protocol (initiated by Plasticdiet Indonesia) – a practice for using reusables at events (such as food & beverage containers and reusable banners), to prevent single-use waste.
2025’s Jakarta event was all about connecting with the community via hands-on workshops, open discussions about plastic pollution, and engaging activities and entertainment for everyone to enjoy – all while sharing the message about how to live with less plastic.
Sarah Rauzana from Plasticdiet Indonesia explained the Jakarta event’s intention:
“We wanted to show that reuse isn’t a new concept for Jakarta and Indonesia. If you look at the food carts on the streets here, they’ve long used reusable bowls and containers. Reuse is truly our culture and our norm. At the Plastic Free Picnic, we highlight two types of reuse: traditional practices and modern reuse businesses, which were presented by the members of Indonesian Reuse Association – demonstrating how both approaches can work in today’s world.”
2025: a celebration of reuse in action
The 2025 event exceeded all expectations. More than 350 people turned up – including many families with children – and the spirit of reuse was alive in every detail. People brought their own meals, or came prepared with reusable containers and utensils to enjoy food from the event’s many stalls. And for those who didn’t bring their own, no problem – reusable utensils and containers (coconut bowls, utensils and cups) were available and could be washed and reused on the spot.
The vendors were all-in too. With support from the organisers, they embraced the reuse mindset, serving up delicious local food with sustainability at the heart of every dish, and providing water stations for bottle refills.
Adding to the lively atmosphere were local reuse businesses under the umbrella of Indonesia Reuse Association (Asosiasi Guna Ulang Indonesia, AGUNI). One of the association’s members, Alner, supplies daily essentials in returnable and reusable packaging that can be used up to 20 times. Repax supplies reusable packaging for Indonesia’s sustainable e-commerce. And Taksu Reuse from Bali, supplies reusable eating utensils and dishware for waste-free events. They were joined by other AGUNI members like Toko Organis from Bandung, Refilin from Gresik, Kecipir from Bogor, and Izifill from Bandung, who provided water refill stations at the event.
There were also interactive displays, hands on workshops and discussions, and a photobooth where attendees could make their very own Plastic Free Pledge, with English and Bahasa Indonesian versions available.
Among the crowd was Plastic Free July founder, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, who was moved by the spirit of the gathering. “This was an incredible community event,” she said. “It was inspiring to see so many people making Plastic Free Pledges, using reusables, and making positive changes for the good of the planet.”
The Plastic Free Picnic is a shining example of how joy, culture, and sustainability can go hand in hand, in a celebration of what’s possible when a community comes together with a shared purpose. Here’s to more shared meals, more singalongs, more reusables – and plenty more picnics with purpose.
