Indonesia, famous for its abundant marine life, is a paradise for avid divers. But often, almost everyone who jumps into the ocean off the archipelago would find themselves surrounded not only by colourful underwater creatures, but also, plastic waste.
The Southeast Asian nation is the world's second biggest marine plastic waste contributor after China, according to the Indonesian government which quoted various studies.
On the resort island of Bali, its pristine beaches have also been plagued by a growing trash problem, worsened by local businesses who flock to spots with high tourist traffic.
Early this year, Bali's government declared a "trash emergency". It also organised daily beach cleaning using heavy machinery and hundreds of cleaners across the island. Up to 100 tonnes of trash could be removed just from one stretch of beach when ocean waste is washed ashore by seasonal winds.
For many locals, plastic bags are part of their daily lives. They use them not only to gather rubbish but also to pack and carry fresh produce and seafood.
Non-profit groups have been calling on the government to tackle what they call an "environmental crisis". Many groups have organized beach clean-ups and promoted plastic-recycling in the hopes of creating awareness around the problem.
Environmental group warned the conditions in Bali, which welcomed 5.5 million tourists last year, are now increasingly worse due to massive tourism development, especially without a strong waste management policy or a sustainable solution in place.
This year's Earth Day on Sunday (April 22) hopes to mobilize the world to end single-use plastics with the theme of "End Plastic Pollution".
In the Asia-Pacific region a total of 11.1 billion plastic items - including shopping bags, fishing nets, even diapers and tea-bags - are ensnared on reefs, scientists who wrote in the journal Science in January. They projected the numbers would rise by 40 percent by 2025 as marine pollution gets steadily worse.
Plastic waste risks reputations of Indonesia's 'paradise islands' | |
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| News & Politics | Upload TimePublished on 21 Apr 2018 |
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