Removing plastic from Indonesian rivers

At a glance

In collaboration with our partner, we are on a mission to protect and restore the world’s rivers and oceans, starting in Indonesia. The project focuses on stopping plastic from going into the ocean and supporting simple technical solutions to mitigate plastic pollution from entering rivers in the first place. This includes installing cost-effective trash barriers in rivers and working upstream on cleaning open dumps that helps to prevent it entering the rivers. Furthermore, the project empowers local governments and educates communities to establish better waste management practices and to put policies in place to tackle the roots of plastic pollution.

Project Importance

Plastic pollution stands as a critical global challenge, overwhelming the world's capacity to manage the surge in disposable plastic production. Around 90% of the marine plastic transported by rivers to the ocean originates from just 10 waterways. Indonesia is second only to China as the world’s largest contributor of this kind of waste to the ocean plastic problem – with four of its rivers among the top 20 polluters globally. Bali’s pollution problem is even so bad the government declared a “garbage emergency” in 2018 as authorities were struggling to keep up with the tide of rubbish washing up on beaches.

Plastic waste has been piling up on Bali, fuelled by a lack of infrastructure—or an official plan—to deal with it. Other factors contributing to this problem are growing tourism, ingrained cultural practices, and a lack of awareness about the lifecycle of plastic from disposal to sea, to washing up on beaches as trash. The project focuses on Indonesia's most polluted regions, deploying cost-effective trash barriers, cleaning open dump sites, and empowering local governments and communities to address the pervasive issue of plastic pollution.

Co-benefits

Sungai Watch is committed to a sustainable and data-driven model to install 1,000 barriers across Indonesia's highly polluted regions, with plans for international expansion. Utilizing GIS technology and Artificial Intelligence, Sungai identifies rivers in urgent need of attention. Trash barriers are swift and cost-effective, activating communities to combat plastic pollution at its source.

Sungai employs weekly community clean-ups, involving local stakeholders and addressing critical areas. Collected plastic waste is processed, with the organization's ultimate goal being a zero-waste-to-landfill operation. By sorting and upcycling every waste stream, Sungai aims to reduce plastic pollution in rivers. To date, 250 barriers have been installed, accompanied by 1,000 community clean-ups, resulting in the collection of 1,718,562 kg of plastic trash from 260 villages.

Sungai Watch  

This project is run by Sungai Watch, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 2020. Sungai consists of a team of 100+ passionate river warriors, working every day to create solutions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from going into the ocean. By designing simple trash barriers and operating a collection, sorting and up-cycling system, they have created a scalable approach to tackling plastic pollution.