TEMPO.CO, Denpasar - The One Island One Voice campaign will once again hold Bali’s largest cleanup on February 24. Since its establishment three years ago, this movement has educated and raised public’s awareness regarding waste, and specifically about plastic waste and marine litter.

“It is time for everyone to share the responsibility on waste management so we can overcome pollution,” said Melati Wijsen, Co-Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags & One Island One Voice on Tuesday, January 30.

This campaign will start by handing out stickers to stores, restaurants, and hotels in Bali with messages urging to reduce the use of plastic bags. Melati said that the area which will be cleaned up include coastlines, rivers, villages, and public areas.

Melati claims that by having a guideline on waste separation in households and the surrounding environment will increase waste recycling up to 90 percent and reduce 50 percent of costs related to waste management.

Plastic waste not only affects the environment, but it also has an effect towards the country’s economy that is predicted to endure losses up to US$2.91 billion annually.

Indonesia is just behind China on the contribution towards littering the ocean with plastic wastes. An estimated 1.29 million metric tons of plastic waste is produced each year.

Andita Rahma