"Nina : Reduce Plastic Pollution and Climate Crisis, Turn Off the Tap!"

(Gresik, Indonesia- 16/January/2025) The River Warrior community installed a plastic-flowing faucet art installation in front of the Plastic Waste Museum in Wringinanom Village Gresik regent East Java Indonesia. "This art installation conveys our message to all parties to stop plastic waste immediately, preventing our planet from drowning in plastic," said Aeshnina Azzahara Aqilani, Coordinator of River Warrior. The art installation created by the River Warrior Indonesia Community features a brass faucet emitting plastic bottle waste to a height of 3.5 meters. The plastic waste submerges two human replicas holding posters that read "Stop Plastic Production" and "Stop Plastic Pollution." In addition to the two human replicas, a red-colored fetus entangled in plastic is also displayed. "This art installation depicts the plastic crisis that drowns humans in plastic waste and fetuses in mothers' wombs wrapped in plastic. Through this installation, we want to invite all of humanity to reduce the use of single-use plastics and stop plastic production," said Nina.

"This installation is adapted from the installation work of Von Wong. When we met in Ottawa, Canada, I had a discussion with him, and some time ago, I contacted Von Wong to duplicate his work, which features a faucet that flows plastic," revealed Nina, the recipient of the IDN Times Youth Climate Warrior 2025. She added that this installation artwork is also enhanced with current facts about the excessive plastic waste production. Therefore, in this installation, there are two human replicas submerged in plastic waste and a statue of a baby entangled in plastic

Nina emphasized that Earth faces a climate crisis fueled by plastic pollution. "Indonesia ranks third, after India and Nigeria, in contributing marine plastic waste." 

"There are 6 reasons for the threat of plastic to health and the ecosystem," explained Nina.

6 Key Points:

1. Plastic production contributes 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Center for International Environmental Law).

2. Plastic production releases carbon dioxide and methane.

3. Unmanaged plastic waste pollutes oceans, damaging marine ecosystems.

4. Burning plastic waste (practiced by 57% of Indonesians) releases toxic gases.

5. Reducing single-use plastics helps combat climate change.

6. Plastic contains harmful chemicals like BPA, phthalates and styrene, threatening human health.

"Currently, microplastics are beginning to threaten human health because they have been found in human organs. The cause is the consumption patterns of society that massively use single-use plastics. Extraordinary efforts are needed to stop plastic pollution," emphasized Nina.

Call to Action:

1. Reduce single-use plastics.

2. Switch to reusable alternatives.

3. Support eco-friendly innovations.

4. Protect river and marine ecosystems.