By: Margareth Meutia

Entering the end of 2017, community activities to educate urban consumers about sustainable consumption actions under the 'Sustainable Consumption and Production - Thailand, Indonesia, Philippine' project (SCP-TIP) began to take place this December with the 'Pasar Semesta' activity. Located at Union Yoga in the Dharmawangsa area, South Jakarta, the Pasar Semesta activity took place for 2 days on December 2 and 3, 2017. The activity initiated by the Project Semesta community - a community of sustainable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - aims to educate upper middle class consumers in Jakarta about sustainable living in the form of a people's market featuring sustainable products and various activities such as workshops, movie screenings and discussions on the topic of sustainability.

The message of 'sustainable consumption' is tried to be conveyed as real as possible at Pasar Semesta by presenting consumer products that meet sustainability criteria. One of them is a vegan dish served by Burgreens, where all raw materials come from organic farming and the production process prioritizes the welfare of farmers to employees who work at Burgreens outlets. A number of fashion products are also found at Pasar Semesta whose production process uses natural ingredients to prevent water pollution that is usually caused by the conventional textile industry. These fashion products also practice the provision of reasonable wages even higher than the textile industry in general in order to realize the welfare of textile craftsmen into the future.

Another sustainable consumption action comes in the form of a bulk store, where everyday products, from groceries to cleaning products, are sold without packaging. Visitors who want to buy products at this bulk store are encouraged to bring their own packaging to reduce the production of plastic packaging waste. In another corner of the market, there is also an area for the sale and exchange of second-hand or pre-loved goods. This practice is very rare in any shopping mall but has a significant meaning in helping to save resources and minimize waste production.

Various workshop sessions, discussions, and movie screenings featuring public figures and influencers were held in an effort to provide as much information as possible to build a clear public understanding of the principles of sustainable production and consumption. Pasar Semesta activities are estimated to attract up to 500 participants who are generally residents of Jabodetabek with an age range between 20-50 years.