Beach tourism : Bali says goodbye to plastic bags and straws

Many cities or countries have banned the use of plastic bags, especially in food distribution. Others try to limit by charging for the bag. Bali has decided to ban the use of single-use plastic bags outright in order to reduce drastically marine pollution.

Final prohibition of plastic bags

On 24 December 2018, Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced the ban on single-use plastics in 2019. This new initiative should come into effect within six months to give companies time to respond.

Social media played a strong role

A video of a British diver swimming through garbage bands off Bali showed the extent of plastic waste floating in Indonesian waters.

The images had been captured by Rich Horner and showed him swimming at Manta Point, a famous diving site about 20 km from the famous tourist island.
The video on YouTube has been picked up by most media around the world: https://youtu.be/Eg9PVElfmcM

A photo has become viral from @thelifeofjord: www.instagram.com/p/BrbjPErAPEK/ – Since December 2018, the photo has been viewed on this account more than 30 000 times. It would be necessary to add those who have added this photo to their own account.

The founders of  » Bye Bye Plastic Bags  » who fought for a plastic-free future can be mentioned. Isabel and Melati (two sisters who started the youth movement when they were only 13 and 15 years old) led a relentless campaign against the production of plastic bags in Bali. They participated in a TED Talks conference: https://youtu.be/P8GCjrDWWUM

Lthe usual photos of Bali are more attractive

When you imagine Bali, you have in mind beautiful white sandy beaches, hidden waterfalls and breathtaking landscapes, sumptuous villas and rightly so. But let us be realistic, for decades Bali has been fighting an ever-increasing environmental crisis. The paradise island no longer digests its plastic.

The Governor of Bali hopes for a significant reduction

As a result of this ban, the Governor hopes to reduce marine pollution by 70% from Bali’s plastic. Wayan Koster adds:
 » This policy is aimed at producers, distributors, suppliers and commercial actors, including individuals, to eliminate the use of single-use plastics « …  » They must substitute plastic for other materials.  » A six-month grace period has been granted and then the police will intervene and issue a ticket to offenders.

Our friends of Villa Finder also act

Environmental issues are at the heart of Villa Finder’s concerns (villa rental company in Bali, Sri Lanka…). « We are also concerned about deforestation in Sumatra. For each confirmed reservation, we will plant a mangrove tree in Medan. To date, 3,888 trees have been planted. This is another environmental problem« . The company also plans to work with villa owners to limit the use of plastic bottles.
In tourism, we are well aware that it is not only in Bali that environmental problems affect tourism activity. We will discuss the problems and especially the solutions provided by cities and countries that are part of a better environment.

Serge Fabre