Bali: The administration of Bali, Indonesia’s premier tourist destination, has set an ambitious goal of becoming free from plastic waste by 2027, a senior official announced on June 16. The plan aims to transform Bali into a plastic-free paradise, enhancing its appeal as a sustainable tourism hotspot.

According to Lao News Agency, I Made Rentin, head of the Environment and Forestry Service of Bali, stated that waste management has been designated a super-priority programme. He emphasized that the participation from all sectors of society is essential for the programme’s success. The target is to be completely free from plastic waste within two years, achievable only if all parties implement the initiative with strong discipline.

The Bali administration has been actively campaigning to eliminate plastic pollution from the island. Villages lacking proper facilities to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic waste have been instructed to develop such infrastructure. Rentin also urged village leaders who have not yet established waste processing facilities to learn from those that have successfully done so, underlining knowledge-sharing and community involvement as crucial elements in achieving the island’s plastic-free vision.

Bali generates around 4,281 tonnes of waste daily, with plastic accounting for 13.9%. Currently, only about 48% of the total waste is collected and processed at official landfills. The remainder is burned, improperly buried, or ends up in rivers and the ocean, leading to significant pollution issues.