Bali, Indonesia: Over the past three years the movement has gathered 45,000 people in 325 locations & prevented 135 tons of plastic from entering our oceans.
One Island One Voice brought back Bali’s Biggest Clean Up for the third year in a row. The event took place on the 16th of February 2019 all across the island, its beaches, rivers, streets, villages and cities. This year’s clean up action gathered 13,000 people in 150 locations and collected over 30 tons of plastic.
Bali’s Biggest Clean Up with Starboard Ocean Ambassadors Melati & Isabel Wijsen from Bye Bye Plastic Bags (BBPB);
“This couldn’t have been achieved without all the incredible collaborators from coordinators, volunteers, and people like you! A huge thanks to Eco Bali who helped coordinate and guide the pickups in all location.”
Here is the breakdown of plastic waste collected thanks to the team of Making Oceans Plastic Free:
– Plastic Straws: 12%
– Plastic Bottles and Cups: 16%
– Plastic Bags: 15%
– Plastic Food Wrappings: 22%
– Other Plastics: 9%
– Shoes/Sandals: 5%
– Glass: 2%
– Cigarette Butts: 8%
– Cans: 3%
– Other 7%
STATISTICS TO MAKE YOU THINK:
– We counted 41,733 items of plastic in the sample waste bags for this years clean up.
– The highest % of coordinators and volunteers were Indonesian…by far!
– Our youngest coordinator was 12 yrs old and our oldest 64!
– We had more rivers cleaned up than last year.
– The #1 single use item we find the most of (2018/2019) is the plastic food wraps!
WHAT NOW?
With data comes the ability to create real change. Numbers and facts, data, science, is sometimes the missing link for activists to create change. Now we have it, we will share it with the government in Bali and Indonesia. Hopefully to bring more attention to the urgent need to upscale our waste management systems across the island.
“The problem won’t get solved unless we all get involved!”
– Melati & Isabel (BBPB)
To watch the full recap video by Make A Change World please click here, and follow BBPB’s Instagram page to see more snapshots of the day.
*This press release first appeared on BBPB has been adapted from its original form.
