We had the opportunity to join Sungai Watch for a tag-along day in Bali. During our visit, we toured their sorting facility and participated in a clean-up event. It was a fun day filled with learning and hands-on climate action!
Sungai Watch is a non-profit organization, founded in 2020, with a mission to combat plastic pollution by targeting rivers, which contribute over 80% of ocean plastics. The team consists of 100+ passionate river warriors that are working hard every day to address the issue of plastic pollution. Since October 2020, they’ve installed 270 barriers from Bali to Java, organized 1,660 community cleanups, and collected more than 2,030,000 kg of plastic. Their next goal? Installing 1,000 barriers across Indonesia. To learn more about this project, visit our project page.
In Bali alone, Sungai has identified over 350 illegal landfills, mostly caused due to the lack of waste management and recycling infrastructure. Their cleanups mainly focus on four regions including Gianyar, Badung, Denpasar and Tabanan. It was both shocking to see the extent of the pollution and at the same time motivating to witness the efforts to restore these beautiful areas.
How does the sorting facility operate?
All trash collected from the barriers is brought to one of Sungai Watch’s seven waste processing facilities, where it undergoes a two-phase sorting process.
- Phase one: the waste is categorized into 30+ material types, including Tetrapack, plastic bags, PET bottles, sachets, cups, hard plastics, mika, and sandals.
- Phase two: the materials are sorted by color and checked for further categorization needs. For instance, plastic bottles are separated from their caps because they are made of different materials.
At the facility, we assisted with phase two, sorting plastic bags by color. Typically, the team sorts waste in the morning and conducts cleanups in the afternoon. After sorting, Sungai Watch analyzes and records extensive data about the collected waste to inform discussions about plastic pollution with stakeholders. The waste is then washed, shredded, and prepared for recycling or upcycling.
Sungai Design has a mission to up-cycle as much river plastic into beautiful, long-lasting products, to help fund river cleanups around the world. They are paving the way for a new era of sustainable design and products.
Working alongside Sungai Watch was inspiring. The sorting and cleanup team, consisting of local Balinese residents, are deeply committed to keeping their home clean and free of plastics. The team demonstrated their close bond, tackling each task with a joyful attitude and sustaining a collective spirit of enthusiasm.
Now lets clean some plastic!
After our facility tour, we headed to an illegal landfill in Tabanan with about 10+ river warriors for a cleanup operation. The site was hidden behind a local elementary school, out of sight but severely polluted due to insufficient waste management infrastructure. People often discard waste in natural areas or rivers where it remains unnoticed. Due to the minimal oversight and control exercised by local authorities, such practices continue to go unchecked.
Each team member initially collected waste individually. After 1.5 hours, we worked together to load the bags onto the pickup truck. It was a heavy task with over 100 bags of waste to carry! The most common types of waste were sachets and plastic bags, for which there are currently few sustainable alternatives in Bali. We collected over 450 kilograms of waste, which was then taken back to the sorting facility.
Community outreach is a crucial aspect of Sungai Watch’s mission. They regularly host educational and cleanup sessions with local schools and invite local businesses, governments, and social groups to join their efforts to reduce plastic pollution at the local level. Tackling the problem at its source!
Encountering polluted areas can be disheartening, but the Sungai Watch team approaches their work with big smiles, remaining optimistic and passionate. This experience has reinforced our commitment to environmental stewardship and highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling plastic pollution. We sincerely thank Sungai Watch for giving us the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the ground!
Regreener’s shared mission
At Regreener, our goal aligns with Sungai Watch's: to place as many trash barriers as possible to further prevent pollution. These barriers are strategically placed based on river mapping, considering waste levels, , surrounding population, and the approval of local residents.
Beyond our collaboration with Sungai Watch, Regreener is dedicated to helping companies create impactful climate action. Visit our project page overview to learn more about the projects you can support. Join us in making a difference and learn how your company can contribute to a cleaner, greener planet! Take action today with Regreener.
