Jakarta, 29 June 2026: To address the region's pressing plastic waste challenges, ERIA hosted the Connecting Private Sector Leaders in Plastic Waste Reduction Across ASEAN event in Jakarta on 29 June 2026. The event brought together policymakers, institutional investors, corporate leaders, and innovators to discuss strategies for reducing plastic pollution and identify practical pathways towards a circular economy.

The event commenced with opening remarks by Mr Reo Kawamura, Director of Environmental Policy and the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris at ERIA, who underscored the importance of private sector leadership in advancing sustainability initiatives.

This was followed by a scene-setting presentation by Mr Fusanori Iwasaki, Research Fellow at ERIA, who placed the discussions within the broader context of ASEAN's plastic pollution governance, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, and the critical role of private sector innovation.

Mr Iwasaki then moderated the Sector Leaders' Presentations and Discussion session, which explored the financial and structural realities of developing circular economy infrastructure – a sector characterised by high upfront investment and long payback periods. The panel featured Mr Dhedy Adi Nugroho of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia and Mr Okkie Soebagio of Bali Investment Club. Discussions examined how venture capital can help mitigate early-stage risks and highlighted the interventions needed to connect innovators with large corporations and expand market access.

The event also featured five regional start-ups addressing plastic waste challenges – Rezbin (the Philippines), Greenhope (Indonesia), Rebricks (Indonesia), TBM (Japan), and Rekosistem (Indonesia) – each delivering a five-minute pitch showcasing its solutions.

Ms Atika Mutiara Insani, Project Officer for the Startup Ecosystem at ERIA, then moderated a fireside chat with the start-ups. The discussion explored how they have integrated plastic waste reduction into their business models and how partnerships with industry can help scale their solutions.

• Mr Yohannes David (Rekosistem) shared insights on building data-driven collaborations between start-ups and corporates to create transparent, commercially viable waste supply chains.
• Mr Peter Tandio (Greenhope) explained how bio-based alternative materials can be positioned as a strategic hedge against future regulatory risks, encouraging corporate clients to reduce their reliance on virgin plastics.
• Ms Tan Novita (Rebricks) demonstrated how rejected multi-layered plastics can be transformed from economic liabilities into premium building materials.
• Ms Minori Kitagawa (TBM) outlined strategies for cross-border expansion and navigating regulatory differences across ASEAN markets.
• Ms Mica Eirth (Rezbin) highlighted the use of low-cost technology to gamify recycling and encourage better waste segregation amongst consumers.

The session concluded with a unified call to action to policymakers, emphasising that effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), green public procurement, and more harmonised regional regulatory frameworks will be essential to enable sustainable businesses to scale across ASEAN.

In her closing remarks, Ms Chieko Tanabe, Programme Manager for the Startup Ecosystem at ERIA, summarised the day's key discussions before participants joined an evening networking session. The informal gathering provided opportunities to strengthen partnerships and explore future collaborations, reaffirming ERIA's commitment to bridging innovation, investment, and sustainable development across ASEAN.