Indonesia is one of the world’s worst producers of plastic waste. Monsoon rains carry trash from cities and rivers directly into the ocean.
The world-famous sandy beaches of Bali are in some places covered under a thick layer of waste. Especially plastic waste has washed up on the beach.
The monsoon season brings Indonesia’s own waste to the shores of the islands. Some of the waste floats hundreds of kilometers in the sea before piling up on the beach sands of the islands that make a living from tourism.
Hundreds of volunteers have cleaned the beach of garbage. Among the plant and wood waste are plastic mugs, straws and cutlery.
Tons of garbage
Local residents, tourists and volunteers from environmental organizations participated in the cleanup.
A representative of the Sungai Watch organization described the garbage load as the “worst” in Bali.
– We have never seen one meter thick plastic waste in the sand. A record 25 tons of garbage were collected in six days, says the organization’s founder Gary Bencheghib.
According to him, most of the waste floats to Bali, about 300 kilometers from Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island. t
Volunteer garbage collector, Russian Tatiana Komelova says he’s shocked by the amount of plastic.
– I’m going to reduce plastic to a minimum after seeing this, thinks Tatiana Komelova from Talkoo.
AFP