The Badung government is preparing a new initiative to tackle waste in Bali’s coastal areas. This time, the goal is to catch trash directly in the ocean before the tides bring it ashore. To do this, special devices similar to plastic traps will be used.
The project is still under discussion, but Badung’s Vice Regent, Bagus Alit Sucipta, has already presented the idea to Indonesia’s Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, during their visit to inspect cleanup efforts at Kuta Beach.
Sucipta expressed hope that the project could be implemented by December this year to help prevent the annual tidal waves of garbage that come with the rainy season. Alongside the traps, there will also need to be a waste collection and removal system for the debris gathered offshore.
He emphasized that the system will first be launched in Bali’s most popular tourist areas: off the coasts of Kuta, Legian, and Jimbaran.
Efforts to keep these beaches clean have long been underway. The Badung Regency government has received support in the form of heavy equipment to transport ocean waste. Trucks have been used to haul trash to landfills, while hard-to-reach beaches like Dreamland have relied on increased manpower instead.
All of this is part of a larger initiative to make Bali waste-free by 2027 — a promise made by Governor Wayan Koster, who has pledged to do everything possible to meet or even beat that deadline.
The plan includes not only building new waste processing facilities and cleaning beaches but also working with local communities and tourists. Villages, households, and hotels may soon be required to follow stricter waste management rules, with penalties for non-compliance. The new tourist guidelines also prohibit the use of plastic and littering on the island.
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