The Plastic Waste Problem
Bali's greatest environmental disaster is plastic waste. The island produces an estimated 3,800 tons of waste daily — and lacks sufficient landfills or functioning recycling systems. The result: plastic bottles in rice fields, piles of garbage on riverbanks, and beaches full of bags, straws, and styrofoam — especially during the rainy season (November-March), when swollen rivers wash the inland waste to the sea.
The situation has become so dire that the government declared a plastic emergency in 2018. Since then, there has been a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws, and styrofoam — though implementation is patchy.
Hope comes from grassroots initiatives:
- Bye Bye Plastic Bags — founded in 2013 by then 10- and 12-year-old sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen from Bali. Their campaign led to the plastic bag ban.
- Sungai Watch — installs barriers in rivers to catch plastic before it reaches the sea. Over 200 barriers across Bali.
- ROLE Foundation — trains Balinese in waste management and composting
- Bali Recycling Association — operates recycling stations and composting facilities
💡 Tipp
Bring a reusable water bottle! Many accommodations and restaurants offer free refill stations for filtered water. The app "RefillMyBottle" shows refill stations across Bali. Avoid plastic straws and bags — and support local environmental initiatives with a donation or as a volunteer.