Bali’s Governor Wayan Koster has announced a new policy that will crack down on businesses on the island that are deemed to be polluting the environment.
As stipulated in his Circular Letter Number 9 of 2025 concerning the Bali Clean Waste Movement, the Bali Provincial Government is forcing businesses to hold much more responsibility for the waste they produce.
The policy updates outlined in the Bali Clean Waste Movement Circular Letter will formally come into effect on the 11th April 2025.
Speaking at a press conference in Denpasar on Sunday 6th April, Goner Koster stated firmly that businesses, especially those in the tourism sector, risk having their operating permits revoked if they do not engage in effect waste management protocols.
Governor Koster told the media, “Every business actor such as hotels, shopping centers, restaurants and cafes that do not implement source-based waste management and restrictions on the use of single-use plastic will be subject to sanctions in the form of a review and-or revocation of business licenses.”
Governor Koster also explained that businesses who are found to have not been implementing sufficient waste management protocols will be named and shamed through social media platforms and deemed ‘not worth visiting’ due to their un-environmentally friendly practices.
The provincial leader further explained that businesses must create their own waste management and waste processing systems before utilising the public waste management systems such as landfills and the TPS3R recycling depots.
Governor Koster shared, “Separating waste from its source into organic, inorganic and residual categories as well as preparing temporary storage facilities for sorted waste in the business area.”
The mandates outlined in the Bali Clean Waste Movement Circular Letter will formally come into effect on the 11th April 2025. The regulations are set to be fully implemented no later than 1st January 2026, giving businesses just under nine months to get their trash together.
Those businesses who successfully implement and adhere to the new policies will be acknowledged in the form of awards and certifications for being environmentally friendly, and operating green businesses in Bali province.
It is not only waste management systems that tourism businesses have to be working on but also to be considerate of the waste that they are producing in the first place. This will have a noticeable impact on tourists visiting the island.
As outlined in Circular Letter Number 9 of 2025 concerning the Bali Clean Waste Movement, the provincial government is also targeting the production and use of single-use plastics across the board, with a specific focus on plastic water bottles and plastic bags.
Though the use of single-use plastic bottles and single-use plastic bags has technically been outlawed in Bali since 2018, enforcement of the policy has been weak.
Governor Koster explained on Sunday “Every business institution is prohibited from producing disposable plastic bottled drinking water with a volume of less than 1 liter in the Bali Province region.” Adding “The landfill is full, so waste management must be progressive from upstream to downstream.”
He noted “I will gather all producers such as PDAM, private companies in Bali, including Danone, I will invite everyone to no longer produce bottled drinks of 1 liter or less.”
Governor confirmed “It’s not about killing [business] but taking care of the environment. Please produce but do not damage the environment.”
The Governor confirmed that it is not only the tourism sector where use of single use plastic is widespread, but also within local communities, especially at traditional local markers. He noted “What has not been successful in relation to the use of plastic is that in traditional markets, it is still very popular, especially plastic bags.”
He added “We will stake this as well as source-based waste management [solution] from 636 villages. Actually, 290 villages have implemented source-based waste management even though not everything is running optimally everything has started, but there are still those who have not yet had a target at that time 2023 all villages have but have not been able to because of various obstacles.”
The Governor cited the pandemic as one of the reasons why the 2018 legislation was hard to enforce during his first term.
Governor Koster concluded “Even if there are those who are angry on social media bullying or everything else, it’s okay, the important thing is my good intentions as a governor.”
Adding “Of course now the situation is better because the central government is increasing the handling of waste problems, there is a direct direction from Mr. President Prabowo Subianto to accelerate the management of waste throughout Indonesia and Bali.”
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oliver
Wednesday 16th of April 2025
Fine the Ibu dumping trash in canals, they save 10 dolla per month on some crookie trash collector, who happen to disappear after bule paid them to collect. Indos...
Thierry Gasnier
Friday 11th of April 2025
That's a huge project that will take commitment and perseverance. Nevertheless the treatment of garbage in Suwung is still not working after so many years, the badly damaged roads are a shame to the Island. Preparing big projects is nice but the island needs attention. Back to basics. Politicians should check by themselves
Sparky
Friday 11th of April 2025
This is movement in a good direction! The tourist places are not Bali’s biggest contributor, unfortunately. What about the local Balinese residents ? The villages, the people who have not been educated about plastic and waste? The children who are only following what their elders have been doing forever. That is the real problem. Nothing will change here until the local resident's of Bali are educated and understand throwing their plastic waste on the side of the roads is causing Bali to drown in trash. I’m speaking from experience, not opinion.
Peter
Wednesday 9th of April 2025
N°1 what Mr koster say is right, it's really need , N°2 the difficulty to organize this project is firstly expensive , but there are solutions, Each house owner of house need pay an separate small tax Big house bigger tax who is included in pajak bangunan ( 5 %to 20%) Commercials ( 10% to 20%) Depend the sampa produced With the money make sampa center with partial paper and karton, plastic, wood, stone ,old building matrial Listric apparats ECT... For each in containers, this can sold to company's to pay staff ,the pajak earn from tax can be use to put every where sampa points , example as in Singapore ( Every 100m sampa point) Different sampa service 1/ house hold every 2 days 2/once a week 3/plastic once a week House hold sampa in Surabaya have special processing for this! 4/ old listrik apparats once a month For every problem is a solution, try learn from other countries , informatie is gratis... If Bali clean than you only can tax tourists If you only claim the fault to foreigners and not wil look in the mirror than you can not solute the problem I'm a foreign Bali lover Wish you many luck
Peter.
Mr Bear Snr
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
Everyone knows that the Plastics on the beaches is not coming from the streets of Sanur, Kuta, Legian, Tuban etc. It is being delivered to the ocean by waterways from Inland Towns and Cities throughout all of Indonesia. Just watch the Javanese visitors cleaning their vehicles out. Everything is thrown straight out on the ground, even when there are rubbish bins next to where they are parked.
oliver
Wednesday 16th of April 2025
@Mr Bear Snr,Javanese are the worst offenders in Bali.
Steve bm
Thursday 10th of April 2025
@Thommo, same here north bali no shame at all
Pedro
Wednesday 9th of April 2025
@Mr Bear Snr, That may be true. But what is certain is that after every prolonged rainfall, especially during the rainy season, tons of plastic are washed into the sea from inland Bali. Just look at the sea of plastic, especially those small plastic water containers left behind after every ceremony.
Thommo
Wednesday 9th of April 2025
@Mr Bear Snr, its also being delivered from inland villages in Bali. Come up to Kedungu and see the rubbish debris on the beaches past Tanah lot up past Pankung Tibah and Pigstone/Yeh Gangga. It's disgraceful. Washed down from Tabanan in the creeks/rivers. A lot of is dumped construction debris and where is that happening? Southern Bali! I can show you a rubbish shute in Bengkel from the roadside down 10-15 metres straight into a natural river/creek. That's where the locals deceptively throw their garbage. You can drive by and not even see it. And multiply this by hundreds of traditional villages in Bali. They know what they are doing and don't give a rats about what you say or think.
Steve bm
Wednesday 9th of April 2025
@Mr Bear Snr, for yearsthe domestic tourists buses from outside bali used to dump all their rubbish in the open parking area of matahari pantai sanur used to be up to 10 buses at times these domestic tourists would all have makan bungkus or from the carts and warungs then just throw it on the ground you had to wade through it ankle deep it wouldn't be cleaned up till next morning just before the next run of buses it didn't matter if rubbish bins were present. I used to tell people dropping rubbish a metre from bins to pick it up and put it in the bin they were horrified someone had asked them to do that