Bali and World News and Views Editor's Comments:
As one who lives on the beach in Bali for the past six years I am very aware of what washes up on the beach.
Bali's West Coast Beach After a rainy season high tide
On our side of Bali on the East Coast it never looks like this which is on the West Coast primarily in the heavy tourist areas .
A relatively clean beach ball is East Coast in front of Bali Paradise Beach Estates
I can testify that probably 20 to 30% of all the debris is from plastic bottles.
Therefore I congratulate Danone-Aqua's For taking the necessary steps to recycle their bottles. I'm sure it will cost them more money and more time, therefore, they are being environmentally conscious.
Almost immediately beach comers will be collecting Danone-Aqua's bottles and turn them in to receive compensation.
This follows an important step by the government to ban plastic bags which is not 100% implemented.
Many of you who live in Bali are already aware that when you go to a store you better take a bag with you because most stores will not provide you with them to adhere to this new law. We all can help by boycotting any stores that still provide plastic bags. We have a responsibility as well.
At any rate, the government and now private industry is starting to take steps to protect our precious ocean and beaches. If we don't Bali will go back to rice paddies and everyone will go bankrupt.
Two additional steps a government can take is providing education to the local people who have a habit of dumping their garbage on the side of the road or into rivers which is where most of the debris comes from.
They do this primarily because there's no place to dispose of the garbage and unlike the Western world they don't have government garbage collection.
This has to be a national Project because I have witnessed over in Java massive garbage dumps on the rivers which washes down the beach on every rainfall and write back up on Bali's beaches across the Straits
All this, of course, takes not just time but money. Fortunately, Indonesia is doing much better economically and should grow in leaps and bounds in the near future. This in the future social pressure will force politicians into making recycling and garbage disposal a priority.
At their are least steps or be being taken to alleviate this problem that not only threatens Bali but the entire world.
Danone-Aqua's First 100 Percent Recycled Plastic Bottle
Launched in Bali
Danone-Aqua's new 100 percent recycled plastic bottle was launched in Bali on Friday 15/02). (Photo courtesy of Tirta Investama)
No comments:
Post a Comment