Waste beach cleanup efforts took place on several beaches across Bali. The Ministry of Environment organised the ceremonial Marine Waste Cleanup Action at Kuta Beach on Saturday, 4th January 2025.
Meanwhile, the Sungai Watch community selected Kedonganan Beach as the focal point for their cleanup, enlisting hundreds of volunteers over the weekend, from 4th to 5th January 2025.
The Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (BPLH) led a marine litter cleanup at Kuta Beach, Badung Regency, Bali Province, on Saturday, 4th January 2025. This initiative saw BPLH collaborate with five government ministries.
A total of 2,115 participants, along with several high-ranking officials, took part in the event.
These included Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, and Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya.
As reported by Antara, Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, stated that the rubbish washing up on Bali’s beaches primarily originates from rivers in Java, which flow into the Java Sea.
“This waste follows the currents, moving eastwards, then south, with some eventually being deposited along Bali’s coastline,” Hanif explained during the marine waste cleanup at Kuta Beach, Badung Regency, Bali.
In addition to waste carried from Java, Hanif mentioned that the marine debris on Kuta Beach also originates from other countries, though he did not specify which ones. He further explained that marine debris is most prevalent during the west monsoon winds, which occur from October to March each year.
Hanif estimated that the volume of waste washed up on Bali’s shores during 2024-2025 would exceed that of the 2020-2021 period, which amounted to around 6,000 tonnes, and 2,900 tonnes in 2023. The increase in waste, he noted, was driven by population growth and environmentally harmful activities.
Meanwhile, the Founder of the Sungai Watch Organisation, Gary Bencheghib, identified the source of the plastic waste that had washed up on Kedonganan Jimbaran Beach.
Gary revealed that, based on the brand labels, much of the waste, predominantly in the form of plastic water bottles, had been transported from Java.
To carry out the cleanup, Gary invited both foreign and local volunteers, as well as Balinese residents, via social media. Hundreds of volunteers worked tirelessly, collecting the plastic waste from morning until noon, even in the rain.
The collected waste was transported to Sungai Watch’s eight waste stations across Bali, where it will be documented to determine its origins, sorted, and sent for recycling.
Bali’s Ongoing Garbage Crisis: Cleaned Beaches, But More Trash Returns
The waste on Bali’s Kuta Beach came in various forms, including plastic, rubber, and wood. It was gathered into sacks with the assistance of at least four pieces of heavy machinery and several trucks.
A total of 2,115 participants, representing diverse sectors, took part in the cleanup. The plastic waste collected was sorted and weighed before being sent to a waste processing centre in collaboration with a third-party partner.
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A similar effort was made by over 500 volunteers at Kedonganan Beach. According to @sungaiwatch’s Instagram Story, within just half an hour, 100 sacks of trash had been collected. However, despite the volunteers’ efforts, new waste continued to wash ashore.
“As we clean up, new plastic waste keeps arriving. When will this end?” read the caption accompanying a video of the ongoing cleanup.
