Dozens of people clutching bags full of plastic bottles and disposable cups queue at a busy bus terminal in the Indonesian city of Surabaya -- where passengers can swap¹ trash for travel tickets.

 

在印度尼西亚泗水市一个繁忙的公交终点站，数十名乘客手持装满塑料瓶和一次性杯子的袋子在排队，他们可以用垃圾换取车票。

 

The nation is the world's second-biggest marine² polluter and has pledged to reduce plastic waste in its waters some 70 percent by 2025 by boosting recycling, raising public awareness³, and curbing⁴ usage.

 

The Surabaya scheme has been a hit in the city of 2.9 million, with nearly 16,000 passengers trading trash for free travel each week, according to authorities.

 

"This is a very smart solution. It's free and instead of throwing away bottles people now collect them and bring them here," explains 48-year-old resident Fransiska Nugrahepi.

 

An hour-long bus ride with unlimited⁵ stops costs three large bottles, five medium bottles or 10 plastic cups. But they must be cleaned and cannot be squashed.

 

Franki Yuanus, a Surabaya transport official, says the programme aims not only to cut waste but also to tackle traffic congestion⁶ by encouraging people to switch to public transit⁷.

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