Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Eco-Ticket Program Trans Banjarmasin as a Plastic Waste Management Strategy Based on the Principles of Ecological Justice

Abstract

The city of Banjarmasin is currently facing an increase in waste production, from 168,032.90 tons in 2020 to 171,998.09 tons in 2023, and potentially faces bigger problems with the planned closure of the Basirih Landfill in February 2025. As an innovative step, the EcoTicket Trans Banjarmasin Program was introduced, allowing residents to exchange their used plastic bottles for free bus tickets, supporting the circular economy principle. This study evaluates the program's effectiveness and its alignment with the concept of ecological justice, utilizing qualitative methods and descriptive analysis. Budiani's effectiveness indicators, such as target accuracy, socialization, goal achievement, and monitoring, as well as ecological justice frameworks from James Lovelock, Vandana Shiva, and Andrew Dobson, are used for analysis. Through a review of literature and official documents from related agencies, it was found that in four months, the program successfully collected 60,523 plastic bottles, equivalent to 200 kg of waste that had been exchanged. Analysis shows that (1) the program effectively reaches public transportation users; (2) its socialization still needs improvement; (3) most goals were achieved, particularly in increasing public transport use and environmental awareness; (4) monitoring needs improvement. Collaboration with the City Waste Bank enables this program to create a sustainable circular economy cycle and stimulate local income. This study offers innovation by combining program effectiveness theories and ecological justice principles in circular economy-based waste management, and identifying a sustainable model without relying on government subsidies. The EcoTicket program has proven to be an effective solution incorporating ecological justice values through approaches like pollution prevention, redistribution of environmental benefits, and increasing ecological awareness in urban communities. This model has the potential to be applied in other cities to address the challenges of plastic waste in a sustainable manner.