Asoy Plastic Bag: Why Sumatra Calls It That

In Sumatra, plastic bags are often called asoy or asoi. The Palembang Language Dictionary on danieel.id, April 1, 2017 records asoy as a kresek or plastic bag. A columnist for Scientia Indonesia, February 11, 2024 also wrote that plastic bags are often called asoi, meaning kresek bags.

So, the use of this word is proven to exist. The harder question is where it comes from. The section below separates what is proven, what is merely conjecture, and what has not yet been found.

What is proven from sources

• Asoy is used to refer to plastic bags in Palembang, according to danieel.id, April 1, 2017.
• The same word appears as a term for plastic bags in a column on Scientia Indonesia, February 11, 2024.
• The meaning of asoi in KBBI is only one: pleasant or delicious. See KBBI online via typoonline.com. The meaning of plastic bag is not yet listed there.

This means the plastic bag meaning is dialectal and everyday conversational usage, not standard vocabulary.

Conjecture 1: asoy is a brand name

The most popular version claims asoy originates from a brand. The blog Palembang Dalam Sketsa, June 19, 2019 writes that the first kresek bags circulating in Palembang carried the Asoy trademark on their packaging. According to that blog, people found it easier to say asoy than kresek, especially with the Palembang accent.

The same blog also links this to the habit of referring to products by their brand names. Examples include kosetan for lighters and odol for toothpaste.

The blog also mentions the spread of Asoy-branded bags to Jambi, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Bengkulu, Pekanbaru, and parts of Padang. It writes that people in Java are more familiar with the term kresek. This information was presented as hearsay by the author, without citing primary sources.

We treat this as conjecture. The reason is that the blog does not mention the factory name, exact year, or trademark documents.

Conjecture 2: asoi from the slang word asyik

There is also a linguistic article discussing the word asoi in the sense of pleasant. Portalsatu, October 1, 2016, which cites beritagar.id, states that asoi is suspected to be formed as an acronym of asyik indehoi. The article then notes that in Palembang, asoy bags mean plastic bags.

It should be noted that this acronym conjecture explains asoi as an adjective, not a plastic bag. We found no source that directly connects the two. Thus, the relationship between asoi meaning pleasant and asoy meaning plastic bag remains unproven.

What was not found

• The name of the factory or owner of the first Asoy brand.
• The exact year the brand appeared. The blog above only mentions the initial entry of kresek into Palembang, without supporting documents.
• Linguistic studies or journals tracing the origin of the word asoy for plastic bags.
• Official dictionary entries listing asoi as a plastic bag.

We also searched several other pages, but most were just vocabulary lists or seller pages, so they were not used as sources. There is indeed a local news article about the history of asoy bags, but we could not open the page to verify it.

Conclusion for packaging buyers

The safest conclusion: asoy is indeed a colloquial term for plastic bags in several regions of Sumatra. Its origin is likely from an old brand, but this has not yet been proven.

For buyers, the name does not determine quality. What matters is that the material and thickness meet your needs, for example for shopping, ice, or food.

Plastic bags from Bandar Lampung

PT Trigunung Padutama has been established since 1987 in Bandar Lampung (Jl. Ir. Sutami Km. 7, Way Laga). The materials we process include HDPE, LLDPE, PP, and biodegradable. The company is Halal and ISO 9001:2015 certified, and the food packaging line uses food-grade materials.

For daily needs, see all-purpose plastic bags. For shops and souvenirs, there are souvenir self-service bags. Eco-friendly options are available at biodegradable plastic.

Custom printing generally starts at 50 kg per design, via custom printing services. Prices are sold per kilo through quotation. Regular distribution to Lampung, South Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, Jakarta, and Bandung. Other cities via partner expeditions. Also read Sumatra plastic bags.

Request a quote on the contact page, WhatsApp/phone 0853-6634-1525, or email sales@trigunung.com.