21 May 2019

Islands in West Papua to ban plastic bags

5:51 pm on 21 May 2019

A group of islands in Indonesia's West Papua is set to ban the use of plastic bags.

The announcement of the plastic bag ban in West Papua

The announcement of the plastic bag ban in West Papua Photo: Facebook/ Humas Pro_Biak

Biak Numfor, home to more than 150,000 people, is the latest in a series of Indonesian regencies to cut down on plastics.

The head of the local environment authority, Iwan Ismulyanto, said the ban will be effective from 1 June.

Biak Numfor last week hosted meetings with locals and businesses to discuss the move.