Bali has a US$40mil trash problem

A scavenger collects used plastic items at a landfill in Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. - AFP

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Over a six-week period this spring, the Indonesian nongovernmental organisation Sungai Watch collected more than 40 tonnes, or 80,000 pounds, of trash from Bali’s Jimbaran Bay-traditionally a bucket list paradise known for its grilled seafood restaurants, surf break and idyllic Four Seasons Resort.

The magnitude surprised nobody on-site. Tsunamis of trash like this have become a recurring issue: They wash over from neighbouring Java, the world’s most populous island, during monsoon season each year. But as tourism roars back post-pandemic, global awareness of the issue is soaring thanks to viral videos on social media and a flurry of news coverage.