Recently, the rise in plastic prices has become a hot topic among the public, as its impact, ranging from traders to consumers, is also being felt. This increase is triggered by political tensions in the Middle East, particularly the geopolitical conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, which has disrupted global energy distribution through the Strait of Hormuz. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2025, around 25% of global maritime trade passes through this route.
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This condition can certainly affect world oil prices, which are the main raw material in plastic production. However, behind this increase, there is a great opportunity to repair environmental damage by reducing the use of single-use plastics and switching to more environmentally friendly packaging.
I believe that the rise in plastic prices will not only have negative impacts on the economy, but can also have positive impacts on the environment.
The Opportunity Behind Rising Plastic Prices
For years, single-use plastics have become the primary choice for people because they are cheap, practical, and easily obtainable. As a result, plastic consumption continues to increase, while plastic waste management remains inadequate.
In fact, most plastic waste takes decades to hundreds of years to naturally decompose. In the long term, this condition can make soil, river, and marine pollution increasingly difficult to control.
With the recent rise in plastic prices, there should be a positive impact on the environment because this directly affects traders who usually rely on single-use plastic packaging. High costs may encourage them to switch to more environmentally friendly packaging.
This change can help reduce the amount of plastic waste that pollutes the environment, both on land and in water, thereby reducing environmental pollution and maintaining ecosystem balance.
Challenges in Switching to Eco-Friendly Packaging
However, these changes cannot happen instantly because switching to environmentally friendly packaging still faces several obstacles. In addition to cost factors, availability and practicality are also important considerations for traders.
Some plastic alternatives, such as banana leaves or other eco-friendly packaging, can indeed be used. However, the availability of these materials is not uniform across all regions. This situation makes it difficult to abandon the use of plastic packaging, even though its price has increased.
In reality, the situation on the ground is different. Traders actually prefer to raise the prices of their goods or reduce product portions to cover the increased cost of packaging. This indicates that the shift toward environmentally friendly packaging still faces several obstacles, especially in terms of habits and reliance on single-use plastics.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) noted in 2019 that global plastic waste reached around 353 million tons, and only 9% of it could be recycled. As a result, the reduction of plastic waste is still not significant, and environmental pollution continues to occur.
The Government’s Role and Public Responsibility
In addition to public awareness, the government also has a very important role in reducing dependence on single-use plastics. This includes restricting the use of plastic bags and packaging, educating the public about proper waste management, and supporting the use of more environmentally friendly packaging to encourage real behavioral changes in society.
These policies can be implemented directly in the community, from shopping centers and supermarkets to traditional markets and small vendors, so that the reduction in plastic use can take place more broadly and evenly.
However, some parties believe that the recent increase in plastic prices has more negative impacts than positive ones. This is particularly felt by small traders who still heavily rely on single-use plastic packaging because it is considered more practical and easy to obtain.
They argue that rising plastic prices only add to operational burdens, forcing them to either raise selling prices or reduce product portions. This situation ultimately decreases the purchasing power of the community. Therefore, the increase in plastic prices alone is not enough to reduce environmental pollution if it is not accompanied by changes in society.
Conclusionthis
In conclusion, the current rise in plastic prices has a very complex impact on society. On one hand, situation can become a valuable opportunity to reduce single-use plastic waste and encourage the use of more environmentally friendly packaging, thereby benefiting the environment.
On the other hand, it also poses challenges, especially for small traders, due to the increased costs they must bear.
Therefore, awareness and cooperation from various parties are needed to reduce dependence on single-use plastic packaging. The community is expected to develop the habit of bringing reusable containers from home, while traders can seek more environmentally friendly packaging alternatives.
With small steps taken together, achieving a cleaner and healthier environment is not an impossible goal.
Author: Lutfiyatun Alifah
Student of the Applied Bachelor’s Program in Public Sector Accounting, Harkat Negeri University
Supervisor Lecture: M. Sofyan Firmansyah, S.S., M.A.
Editor: Nilam Indahsari
Language Editor: Rahmat Al Kafi
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