Pulau Plastik has raised public awareness about plastic waste
In 2018, the latest collaborative campaign, Pulau Plastik, or more loosely translated, Plastic Island, to raise awareness of the dangers of single-use polythene in Bali was launched to address these issues. The main focus of the campaign is to reduce single-use plastic consumption and advocate better policies.
According to the 2019 Impact Assessment Report, the campaign was successful in increasing public awareness about plastic waste.
Balinese must take action to make this awareness real.
After Pulau Plastik campaign
The Pulau Plastik includes a four-episode mini-series as well as a feature-length documentary.
In the 2019 survey, all respondents (including those in the control groups who had not watched the series) agreed or strongly disagreed that plastic pollution was an important problem.
The people who had watched at least one episode of the Pulau Plastik show were more likely than those who hadn’t agreed (84%) that plastic pollution is a serious problem. This result also shows that the Bali community is already aware of plastic pollution and is motivated to reduce it.
The Pulau Plastik audience, as well as the control group of those who did not watch Pulau Plastik, are both aware that plastic pollution poses a serious problem and are motivated to reduce it.
Despite the fact that awareness and motivation are high, 32-77% of respondents still report using single-use plastics.
Bali’s Gubernatorial Regulation No. 97/2018, which aims to reduce single-use plastic waste, has banned the use of plastic bags, straws, and styrofoam in Bali.
The most common single-use plastic products are takeaway containers and sachets.
The respondents reported that the main challenge they faced in reducing plastic single-use products was due to its widespread availability and lack of viable alternatives.
The majority of respondents said that plastic packaging is widely available and that there are no viable alternatives.
If a campaign to reduce the use of single-use packaging is to be successful, it needs to be supported with meaningful, affordable, and accessible alternatives.
To prevent pollution and waste leakage, policymakers should also implement local waste management systems.
About half of Bali’s waste has been recycled, and the rest is transported to landfills. The rest is disposed of in the environment. Thirty-three thousand tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean every year.
In order to keep the system current, it is necessary to reduce the plastic waste inputs as the waste management systems become stronger to prevent waste leakage. The phase-out of single-use plastics, which are a major contributor to waste, remains a problem. It is mainly associated with its ease of use and widespread.
Pulau Plastik screening at Taro Village as part of the community screenings in Bali throughout 2019.
Growing movement
Bali has made positive progress despite the challenges.
One and a half years after Gubernatorial Regulation No.97/2018 was enacted, a study by Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement, Nexus3 Foundation, and Bali’s Environmental Protection and Management showed that the use of plastic bags and straws had decreased by 50%.
Many local initiatives have been launched to reduce plastic waste in Bali’s villages.
Some villages are focused on managing waste effectively. Taro Village is working with Merah Putih Hijau to create a sustainable waste management system.
The number of new businesses in Bali offering products and services with less or no single-use plastic is also increasing.
Denpasar’s Mayor issued Regulation No. 76/2019 in 2019. This effectively decentralizes waste management within the city, putting responsibility for managing waste at the village level. 76/2019, which decentralizes the waste management system in the city and places the responsibility of managing waste on the village level.