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Former Minister Suggests Bali Creates Task Force To Tackle Garbage On Beaches

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Indonesia’s Former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, has spoken to the media about the need for a specialist task force in Bali to deal with the ocean plastic that washes up on the island’s beaches. Talking over a video call, the Pandu Laut Eco Festival, Pudjiastuti, said that the tide of garbage on Bali’s beaches comes from both rivers inland and the ocean.

Indonesian Man Walks Along Kuta Beach Covered In Plastic Waste And Ocean Garbage

Pudjiastuti told the virtual attendees, “Most of the garbage comes from that area [inland Bali], then during the rainy season, it returns to the sea. The garbage is from all around there. [Trash is] carried away by waterways as if it’s [water]. Even though 80 percent of it is trash from all around [Bali]”.

She then called on the provincial government to improve their monitoring of sewers in coastal areas. Advice that has been shouted from the rooftops by disaster management teams after the heavy rains and flash floods earlier this month.

Plastic Waste Garbage Washes Up On Bali Beach

She continued, “What must be paid attention to is the need for monitoring, such as mobile security guards. Maybe there are hotels that drain into the sea. Sometimes, there are garbage trucks that throw garbage off the cliffs onto the beach. There needs to be monitoring from the government. Don’t just think it’s [exported] garbage because, in fact, most of the waste comes from the surrounding area”.

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Two Young Men Watch Sunset On Bali Beach That Is Covered in Plastic Waste and Ocean Garbage

The Director of the shipping and logistics company Samudera Indonesia, Bani M Mulia, agreed that more needed to be done to tackle the problem and create long-term solutions. Mulia noted that the issue of ocean plastic is starting to impact shipping vessels, not just the experience of those on the beaches.

Mulia said, “It’s like embarrassing. Because sometimes ships from outside just want to dock at the port, the sea conditions are dirty. There has also been a crew member of a ship that dives in Indonesian waters, [and they were] it was hit by garbage or something. But if [someone] dives into the Singapore Sea, it’s like splashing in a swimming pool. Apart from that, garbage also causes the ship’s parking lot to stink. And the worst thing is damaging ships, especially small boats”.

Bali Boats Docked On Beach Sit On Piles Of Plastic Waste And Ocean Garbage

Mulia suggested that it is the responsibility of businesses and commutes to educate the younger generations about the issues at hand. He shared the work of the Samudera Care initiative that teaches young people the importance of protecting the oceans and reducing plastic waste.

He said, “This event [virtual conference] is one of the company’s efforts to conduct education, while for education in formal education, Samudera Peduli also has a school boat program to help young people get education from formal education.”

Waste-Plastic-Pollution-piled-High-On-Bali-Beach

The Pandu Laut Eco Festival hosted online and in-person events during the festival. In-person events include a series of beach clean-ups that collected waste from the coastline spanning from Masceti Beach to Keramas. During the beach clean-ups, the community and eco-leaders collected 314 kg of waste, which has been sent to recycling and waste management stations for processing.

Local-Women-Clean-Up-Kuta-Beach-After-Plastic-Waste-Washes-Up-On-The-Shoreline-In-Bali

Earlier this month, two of Indonesia’s leading environmental NGOs announced a partnership to address the problem of plastic waste in Bali. Waste4Change and ecoBali announced a new campaign to make a real impact on the seemingly never-ending tides of garbage that are deposited along Bali’s coasts.

The organizations will work alongside the provincial government to create systemic changes to the waste management system on the island and tackle the issue of waste management around the country to help reduce garbage ending up in the ocean in the first place.

Kuta-And-Seminyak-Beach-In-Bali-Covered-In-Ocean-Plastic-Waste-Pollution

In October, Bali’s Deputy Governor, Tjokorda Oka Arta Ardhana Sukawati, also known as Cok Ace, called on local communities to go more to address the ‘ticking time bomb’ of waste management on the island. He said, “waste management must be started and carried out by all parties, especially those from waste producers such as households, hotels, schools, offices, industries, and other public places”.

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Raymond

Friday 2nd of December 2022

It starts in the schools, and it ain't happening. Go to any school and see the piles of trash, then the burning are where the plastic fumes arise. The rivers and streams up hill are garbage dumps for all the villages. Sh.. flows downhill. Locals seem just fine to sit in their own rubbish, so proud, rather than clean up after themselves, especially the males. Sit at any minimart for a while watch the locals come, eat, throw or leave their trash for someone else to clean up, with a bin 1 mtr away. After a few hours, there are thousands of ants, flies and street dogs getting in on the action, but still the next guy shows up and leaves his trash behind. Cleaning up the beaches is not addressing the problem, but I think that might mean leaving an air conditioned office to do something about it.

Exp

Saturday 3rd of December 2022

@Raymond, The other well used explanation to justify inaction is to blame the trash on passing ships and Java...

JK

Friday 2nd of December 2022

The Balinese people must put pressure on the local government to take action otherwise all of these common sense measures are rendered meaningless.

Exp

Thursday 1st of December 2022

1. Our villa separate all trash into organic waste, plastic, paper etc. 2. The garbage truck collects and mix it all together into one big pile inside the truck. 3. The same truck drives to a TPS (Temporary waste disposal sites) and dump all the trash on the sidewalk/street inside residential areas for "further sorting". 4. Trash is then transported to TPA Suwung landfill.

Obviously this process must change.

A. Trash collection must be free of charge for lower income. Otherwise they will burn it or throw it into rivers.

B. Trash must be sorted at source and disposed/recycled/incinerated accordingly. Heat from incineration can be used to produce electricty.

C. Charge an extra fee for all plastic sold (bottles, cups etc). Fee will be refunded when plastic is returned for recycling. This will give lower income people a way to make some money.

Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck

Thursday 1st of December 2022

Indonesia is second for dumping plastic in the ocean only beaten by China that has nearly 6 times the population. Per capita per person but Indonesian stuff more plastics in the water than any other nation in the world. There are only two things that motivate mankind. One is giving them money. The other is taking money out of their pockets. Indonesia needs to have strict laws about throwing their garbage on the street or in rivers or ravines. These polluters need a large fine or possibly even time behind bars. It is very simple everyone has a smart phone on that smart phone they have a video camera . All a person have to do is videotape a person throwing garbage on the street or not taking care of their environment. From there they can download that video to a special police force. If the polluter is caught the person who downloaded the video will be rewarded with part of the fine that is collected from the Person who polluted. In the villages I don’t know where the real problem is once one person is fine or put in jail for polluting the word will spread like wildfire people will learn to change their ways. There must be strict laws enforced and the violators must be punished. The government and the governor of Bali how’s the horrible job. There is not only garbage on the streets garbage in the water but there is also the problem of noise pollution caused by men removing their mufflers on their 100 cc motorcycles plus the idiots on the ninjas. There is no respect for the law in Bali at this time. This governor must not have a relationship with the police. What if he does have a relationship with the police the police do not respect them and follow directions. Bolli 30 years ago was one of the most beautiful places on earth. That was just a mismanaged island managed by a bunch of morons that only have one thing in mind about is lining the wrong pockets. So governor’s time to pull your thumb out of your a$$ and make falling beautiful again

Frank

Thursday 1st of December 2022

balinese people throw the garbage in the river, in every river. please STOP them !!!!!!! you have a TV to teach them something good....

BaliDuck

Friday 2nd of December 2022

@Frank, Bali is a $hithole and it will only get worse.