The Recombobulator Lab is discussing an important topic today - sachets. What is a sachet and why is it important? Sachets are small plastic packets used to sell smaller servings of food and other groceries in lower income countries, but they come with a heavy environmental cost. Chris and Jason spoke with Yobel Novian Putra, Climate and Clean Energy Campaign Associate for GAIA Asia Pacific, to learn more about the issue.

According to Yobel, incineration is a problem for a number of reasons

• In some countries, rubbish is not separated, so everything gets burned in incinerators.
• Incineration is expensive for countries that can't afford the fees- incineration is the most expensive way to get rid of waste
• Incineration is much more carbon intensive than burning coal.

Essentially incineration contributes to both the climate crisis and the debt crisis. Yobel pointed out that the environmental issue is a social issue as well.

And now, the sachets. Yobel discusses the Unilever project in Indonesia that attempted to recycle sachets using a pilot technology called CreaSolv. The project was rushed through without proper permits and licensing, and the factory has since shut down. Yobel says the claim that it could recycle sachets, has since been debunked as a myth .

He discussed a waste bank in Indonesia that pays people to collect sachets and separates them for recycling, but the sachets are no longer being collected by the recycling facility. The waste bank has continued to collect sachets, however, because people have created the habit of recycling them.

Instead, Yobel suggests that the solution lies in education and meaningful dialogue with communities.

He emphasized the importance of accountability and preventing factories from shutting down without proper arrangements. Indonesia is a young country with opportunities to avoid the mistakes of the global north, leapfrogging right to sustainable solutions.

January is Zero Waste Month. Yobel says it is a month to celebrate the progress we have made in so many areas. The theme for this year's festival is Zero Waste Month is Zero Waste for Zero Emissions.

GAIA is hosting a number of events throughout the month. Events will be happening online and in person. The Zero Waste Digital Film Festival is taking place online for the rest of January. There are several conferences, marches and launches taking place throughout the month in India, The Philippines and around Asia.

Anyone interested can find more information can visit