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This is one of those things that you read and go - wow that's so simple yet such a good idea.

The key thing here to remember is that this is a start and like most things starting is the hardest part.

As the article says: “This is an important moral message to the world that dumping plastic waste into the sea is very bad,” Sakti said. “Hopefully this can be a nationwide effort and, even better, a worldwide action.”

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Indonesia still dumps plastic waste into rivers straight from garbage trucks though don't they? Is the program just for pr optics or are they genuinely making a difference?

I hope they don't start collecting a ton of rubbish from the dump before going out, and then bringing it back to get paid.

The Indonesian government will have to provide oversight

Of course we in the US is vilified for our wastefulness, the use of fossil fuel and the pushback on going greener. I'll have to agree with the statements although I'm one to push back on the many ideas of going greener. Part of my thinking is the fact that countries such as Indonesia are a larger part of the problem. Other industrialized countries such as China with larger populations and countless other smaller nations and all island nations complelety don't give a rats ass about this issue. Also much of the trash we see in the oceans are not dumped there but find their way there through rivers and such flowing into the oceans. Out of all the cities I've lived in only one had a recycling program. Recycling is not cheap and has to be done on a concerted scale. I'm guilty. Everytime I buy a bottle of liquid laundry soap or a gallon of milk in a plastic jug or order takeout that comes in styrofoam containers it saddens me to know I'm part of a large problem. I live along the upper coast of Texas. It's infuriating the number of people that won't dump their trash in a receptacle or just take it with them. Or that it actually comes from shipping. Walking the beach you can find these small plastic bottles from shipping. These bottles I've found are condiment bottles used on ships. You'll see these triangular cut outs in them. These are bites sea turtles have taken thinking these are food. Many turtles are found sick or dead. Their stomachs full of this stuff. Eating it but getting no nutrition from it. Sometimes the beach has a layer of micro plastic that has washed up with the tide. Just beacause it's "micro" does not make it a good thing. It's in the environment to stay.

Ooh, this is clever, especially given most plastic pollution is from fishing. Now they have a monetary incentive to clean up after themselves :3

Almost all the plastic that gets dumped into the river comes out of five rivers around the world. We can do better. Also, scientists are working all the time to try and do things no one thinks is possible, and that is why we currently have the technologies that we do.

I certainly hope they can get a handle on this. To me it seems most of the other environmental issuse can only be seen on paper and such through studies by scientists whose findings or opinions can vary widely. This is one of those things that is more tangible to the lay person. It's absolutely disgusting.

well, since the commercial fishing industry is the #1 contributor to ocean plastics, this 'reward' seems odd.

not a bad idea altogether. paying the fishing industry to not litter is bound to be more effective than fining them for littering (which is nearly impossible to enforce at sea).

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That's always the key isn't.

Solution involves tackling the root cause of the issue, not dealing with the consequences d ramifications. Starts at grass roots education, which, ironically, was one of the president's election platform priorities.

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