"Moreover, to those belonging to the millennial generation that are more aware of what they buy or use, they believe that they can contribute to the environment through their consumption," FSC Marketing and Communication Manager Indra Setia Dewi stated here on Friday.
According to FSC, over 50 percent of Indonesian people, most of them belonging to the millennial generation, would consider about sustainability of any products before purchasing it. Particularly, four in 10 consumers have some understanding of the FSC label.
Based on the region, the number is relatively high among other emerging countries, with a similar population as Indonesia, such as India, with 48 percent, and China, with 44 percent.
In developed countries, such as Japan, the number is only 29 percent, as its population is smaller and its environmental awareness has been higher, and the nation is several steps ahead of other Asian countries.
"The number in Indonesia is quite surprising, as it means that we actually understand environment matters, but the ignorance is also still high, why? Because most of the population in Indonesia do not know how to recycle, for instance," Dewi stated.
Nevertheless, Dewi believes that by understanding that a label that certifies a product about its sustainability is a good start.
"What we have to do now is educating people," Dewi added.
Hence, FSC, as a global non-profit organization, lauds industries and companies that give special attention to their production and corporate practices by ensuring their sustainability.
In terms of sustainability, Tetra Pak Indonesia, as one of the leading packaging industries, is committed to holding an end-to-end cycle in ensuring its environmental responsibility.
Tetra Pak Indonesia Environment Manager Reza Andreanto noted that on an average, renewable materials are used in almost 75 percent of its carton packages, and also one of its products called Tetra Rex Bio-Based for pasteurized beverages have used 100 percent renewable materials made up of a combination of paper and sugarcane.
"This is why the certification process and chain of custody assessment should be held thoroughly to ensure a responsible practice," he noted.
Tetra Pak Indonesia has been encouraging its industrial consumers to place FSC labels on their products that use Tetra Pak's packaging.
Earlier, on Thursday, Tetra Pak Indonesia, in collaboration with FSC and PT Sosial Bisnis Indonesia (SOBI), had held a day-long good consumer`s education event in Yogyakarta, with a visit to a FSC-certified production forest in Kulon Progo District.
The participants, including tree plantation farmers, local farmers, wood sellers, and journalists, were taken on a trip to a small forest managed by local residents to plant teakwood and log, an FSC-certified tree.
Reporter: Azizah Fitriyanti
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
