The plastic waste in Bali Indonesia is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in a wider sense than it currently is. Indonesia is the second worst country when it comes to dumping plastic trash into the ocean. We have learned and seen first-hand the detrimental effects plastic has on Bali’s ocean and land. The plastic that is tossed into the ocean does not ever fully dissolve and it breaks down very slowly. This plastic trash turns into micro-plastic which is then eaten by the fish and this is very unhealthy for the fish and for the people who are consuming the fish. We have seen from visiting the different beaches and from walking around the streets that there is a huge plastic waste problem all over Bali. There is so much that it is hard to think of and find a perfect solution that will effectively solve the plastic waste problem in Bali. This plastic waste not only ends up in the rivers but also in the sacred irrigation systems called Subak. This intense amount of plastic waste ends up in the sources of food and water. The plastic trash also can clog the rivers which can lead to flooding which would then damage the nearby communities. Lots of this plastic waste ends up in landfills and this can be toxic for the environment when the plastic releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. There are so many problems that this plastic trash can cause it’s hard to think that this is still an issue that hasn’t been fixed. It is an overwhelming problem and a root cause is that so many people in Bali are uneducated about the dangerous effects of plastic waste. I at first thought the problem was the huge presence of tourist and that the tourist were the ones leaving all of the plastic waste around the island. In reality it is mostly the local Balinese people who are contributing to this plastic waste issue. There are measures going into effect that are helping limit the amount of plastic used. For example, most of the grocery stores do not have plastic bags anymore. This is a concept that should be promoted everywhere else in the world. This is still not enough. If Indonesia is serious about reducing the amount of plastic used, they will need to create much more drastic plans for effectively reducing the amount of plastic used. Below is a picture of the beach filled with trash. Imagine how much more beautiful the beach would look if there was not any plastic waste.
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