Indonesia | 2024 | Visual Arts, Installation

Indonesian youth take on the plastic monsters

In Jakarta and four other major cities, young activists, artists, and environmental organizations unite to create massive plastic monsters, symbolizing the urgent fight against plastic pollution. This participatory initiative merges art, advocacy, and environmental action, engaging thousands of people in a nationwide movement.

12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

1 2 3 4 5 6

Indonesian youth take on the plastic monsters.

A climate crisis with local impacts

Lire +

Indonesia, a nation of over 250 million people, faces a critical plastic pollution challenge. As the world’s second-largest contributor to plastic pollution, the country generates 3.2 million tons of unmanaged plastic waste annually, with 1.29 million tons ending up in the ocean. Despite the urgency of this crisis, studies show that a vast majority of Indonesians remain largely unaware of the gravity of climate change.

EcoNusa Foundation, a leading environmental organization, has been working since 2017 to bridge this knowledge gap by combining environmental advocacy with artistic expression. Through large-scale initiatives like the Youth Actions for Climate (AMJI), EcoNusa has inspired tens of thousands of Indonesians to take action. This second edition of the parade was calling to action the young generation of Indonesia.

Artist
Local artists, EcoNusa Foundation, WALHI, Greenpeace, Dietplastic, Pandu Laut, WWF

Partners
EcoNusa, National NGOs, 58 local organizations, regional governments

Participants
30,000 volunteers, youth activists, local communities

Agency
AFD Indonesia

Uniting art and activism for a plastic-free future

The Plastic Monster Parade, a key part of Youth Actions for Climate 2024, took place on October 28th, coinciding with Youth Pledge Day. This nationwide event featured five towering plastic monsters, each crafted from 250 kg of plastic waste, and displayed in Jakarta, Pontianak, Makassar, Ambon, and Sorong.

Local artists, young volunteers, and environmental advocates lead workshops and activities in the months leading up to the parade, alongside with environmental organizations like GreenPeace. These efforts included a plastic brand workshop that seeked to identify major polluters, creative sessions to design the monsters, and public engagement campaigns to highlight the urgent need for sustainable waste management.

With over 67,000 participants reached by this project, this movement inspired collective responsibility and drive policy changes towards a plastic-free future.