An environmental group in Bali says plastic pollution washing-up on beaches is worse than normal this year. This past weekend, there have been multiple beach cleans, and many participants are from the Australian holiday rush. Advocates say the problem will only end if Indonesia improves its waste management.
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00:00Pulling together to pull plastic from the sand. This is not how holidaymakers usually
00:09pitch a coup to beach in the heart of Bali's tourism zone.
00:13I think it's an increasing problem and unless the government decides to do something serious
00:16about it, it won't be solved. But this is the beginning of raising awareness for it.
00:22This clean up was organised by the Indonesian government with both foreigners and locals
00:27pitching in.
00:28Among all the rubbish we've sorted, I found this dead puffer fish. Perhaps it got stuck
00:34between the floating logs and rubbish and washed ashore. Such a pity.
00:40Every year, beaches along Bali's west coast face rubbish problems during the wet season.
00:45But this vision last week from an environmental group, Sungai Watch, snapped the community
00:50into action and prompted a separate clean up this weekend at another beach. Organisers
00:55say much of the plastic rubbish here floated over from Indonesia's main island, Java, and
01:01shows the country needs much better recycling and waste systems.
01:06We know that this rubbish is mostly coming from Java and we need time to solve the problem.
01:11It's not an overnight thing. We need everyone to help.
01:14A record-breaking 6.3 million tourists from abroad visited Bali last year, putting further
01:21strain on the waste system. But some are keen to help.
01:25Just a good feeling that you can walk away with helping out the community. Froth up.
01:32Chug up.
01:33A paradise under strain.