Bali-based environmental organization Sungai Watch has officially released its Brand Audit Report 2024, marking the fifth edition of its annual study. Dubbed “more than just data,” the report serves as a warning to corporations, policymakers, and consumers about the brands most responsible for plastic waste pollution.
Shifting Trends in Plastic Pollution
In its latest findings, published on 27 February 2025, Sungai Watch noted that its cleanup operations expanded to East Java in 2024, providing the largest and most geographically diverse sample set to date. This expansion revealed notable shifts in plastic pollution trends.
“For the first time in four years, we have a new leader among the top polluting corporations,” the report stated. It also highlighted the widespread reliance on plastic water containers—a factor that not only increases waste but also underscores challenges in ensuring access to clean drinking water.
The report aligns with Indonesia’s National Action Plan, which targets a 70% reduction in marine waste by 2025. However, Sungai Watch expressed concerns about the lack of concrete progress:
“The gap between policy and action remains wide, and this report is designed to spark meaningful conversations and drive real change. We need urgent and systemic action, not just promises.”
The Biggest Plastic Polluters
Based on the 2024 Brand Audit in Banyuwangi and Bali, which analyzed a total of 623,021 items, the top 10 parent companies contributing to plastic waste were:
- Wings – 52,600 items
- Danone – 39,480 items
- Indofood – 34,043 items
- Unilever – 32,372 items
- Mayora – 30,209 items
- Ultrajaya – 29,543 items
- OT (Orang Tua Group) – 24,531 items
- Nestlé – 17,678 items
- Yakult – 17,243 items
- Sosro – 16,419 items
Among individual brands, Danone’s AQUA was the most frequently found product, with 36,826 items collected. Other notable contributors included Indomilk, Ultramilk, Teh Gelas, and Pepsodent.
Urgent Call for Corporate Accountability
Sungai Watch emphasized the need for immediate action to curb plastic waste. The organization is calling on companies to reduce plastic production, improve waste management, and deliver tangible sustainability initiatives.
“Each month, our teams analyze 1,500 packaging items across various waste categories from cleanup efforts in rivers, open dumpsites, mangroves, and beaches,” they explained. “Yet, operational challenges and waste availability make consistent sampling a challenge.” Every collected item was meticulously identified by parent company, brand, and material type to pinpoint the major contributors to plastic pollution.
Single-Use Sachets: A Major Culprit
The report identified single-use sachets as particularly problematic. Over 41% of the plastic waste attributed to Wings came from sachets that are currently non-recyclable in Indonesia. Despite its dominant market presence in household and food products, the company has yet to implement sufficient measures to mitigate its packaging waste.
For the first time, Danone slipped to second place in the ranking, further emphasizing a shifting landscape in corporate plastic pollution across the nation.
Beyond Corporate Accountability: The Broader Context
While the Brand Audit Report places significant responsibility on companies, broader research and official data reveal that consumer behavior and infrastructural shortcomings are also at the heart of Indonesia’s plastic waste crisis.
According to the World Bank’s What a Waste 2.0 report, recycling rates in Indonesia remain below 10%—a stark indicator of the country’s underdeveloped waste management infrastructure. This gap means that even if companies adopt more sustainable packaging practices, the existing systems struggle to cope with the volume of plastic waste generated.
Furthermore, many environmental observers note that consumer demand for convenience continues to drive the proliferation of single-use plastics. In a nation where rapid urbanization and a burgeoning middle class fuel higher consumption levels, the challenge is compounded by a recycling framework that has not kept pace with growth.
This multi-faceted problem suggests that addressing plastic pollution in Indonesia requires a coordinated approach: companies must innovate in sustainable packaging, governments need to invest in robust waste processing facilities, and consumer education should be enhanced to encourage more responsible usage patterns.
