Toko Cura is a "Reuse and Refill" store business model system developed by Divers Clean Action or often called DCA in the Seribu Islands. The Toko Cura program is promoted by DCA and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Toko Cura program itself is aimed at helping shops in the Seribu Islands reduce the use of single-use plastic by offering and providing daily necessities products with a reuse and refill system. In implementing the Toko Cura program, DCA implements a simple business system that is easy for the public to understand.
DCA is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the business system of the Toko Cura program so that this business model must provide value and benefits for all parties involved as the Toko Cura business model develops. DCA's goal in developing the Toko Cura program is to introduce environmentally friendly business concepts to the community so that it can reduce plastic waste which has the potential to pollute the sea. Therefore, DCA collaborates and collaborates with shops and individuals on Pramuka Island, Harapan Island and Head Island as Toko Cura partners. Toko Cura's partners are Ibu Fatimah's stall, Ibu Edah's stall, Pak Saini, Syakirah Badriah's stall and Smiling Coral Indonesia (SCI).
Mr. Saini, one of Toko Cura's partners, who is also an environmental activist and chairman of the Tourism Awareness Group (POKDARWIS) on Kelapa Island, believes that the shop's "Reuse and Refill" business system creates new hope for reducing single-use plastic packaging waste among the people of Kelapa Island. As a partner of Toko Cura, Mr. Saini feels that the people who are his consumers are quite enthusiastic about trying reusable packaging products that are more environmentally friendly and reduce the use of single-use plastic.
"Of course, changing people's behavior is not easy, especially changing behavior that usually uses disposable/disposable packaging into a reuse system, which is a difficulty in offering this product (Cura Shop products)," said Mr. Saini.
However, Mr. Saini has his own strategy in educating and marketing Toko Cura products by utilizing social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook, as well as utilizing youth networks so that education on reducing single-use product packaging waste can be conveyed as a whole. According to Mr. Saini, developing the "Reuse and Refill" business model in the Toko Cura program requires price adjustments to be able to compete with single-use plastic packaging products. Apart from that, strategies are also needed to strengthen educational and promotional materials that are easily accessible online and offline by the general public. Lastly, according to Mr. Saini, the packaging branding design needs to look more attractive to influence consumer interest in buying Toko Cura products.
In its journey to develop the Toko Cura program, DCA carried out a pilot project with start-ups such as Kecipir and Hepi Circle to supply products to the Toko Cura program that supports the "Reuse and Refill" business system. Kecipir makes a contribution by providing quality cooking oil products which are sold to Toko Cura partners. Not only that, Kecipir also provides privileges in the form of free shipping to Kali Adem Harbor, North Jakarta to reduce transportation costs for Toko Cura partners. Meanwhile, Hepi Circle participated by donating dishwashing soap products produced by Hepi Circle. Both Kecipir and Hepi Circle sell their products to Toko Cura partners at distributor prices to provide more profits to Toko Cura partners so they can compete with their competitors' products.
"For the price with product quality and the purpose of reusable packaging products, if you calculate it, it is actually cheaper in the long term because it is enough to cut the price of packaging per purchase, and also reduces daily plastic production in households, which is piled up illegally," said Mr. Amirudin. as one of the consumers of the Cura Shop on Kelapa Island.
According to Mr. Amirudin, the quality of Toko Cura products with reusable packaging is more or less the same as single-use plastic packaging products, even better because they pay attention to environmental aspects. Furthermore, Mr. Amirudin emphasized that the "Reuse and Refill" business system is not burdensome or difficult for consumers. However, some consumers are worried about what happens if the product packaging is no longer suitable for use or exchanged, such as missing packaging lids, damaged packaging stickers and so on. In the end, both Toko Cura partners and consumers hope that the "Reuse and Refill" business system will continue to be sustainable because it can be a solution to reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging that is not environmentally friendly. (Indri Mariska)
