JAKARTA: In an effort to combat plastic pollution in one of the most visited tourist spots in the world, Bali, Indonesia, started outlawing plastic bottles on Monday. Every year, the island generates almost 300,000 tonnes of plastic garbage, of which over half is not picked up, with 33,000 tonnes ending up in Bali’s waterways. The new policy will forbid the use of plastic bottles in all Bali government buildings and educational institutions.
According to a statement by the province’s regional secretary, Dewa Made Indra, “We hope that all relevant parties will implement this policy in full responsibility for a green and sustainable Bali.” Additionally, the policy mandates that “teachers and school principals use tumblers to reduce or eliminate plastic waste from food and beverage packaging in order to serve as role models for students.”
Bali’s plastic garbage issue has garnered international attention in recent years due to the debris that washed up on its famous beaches during the height of the monsoon season, when strong winds and rain also carried pollutants from nearby Java island.
Videos of enormous “trash waves” on Jimbaran Beach’s shoreline went popular on social media last month, one of the first occurrences of the yearly phenomenon that has spread around the island. The central government is equally concerned about the matter, as seen by Indonesia’s Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq’s participation in the beach cleanup in Bali.
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