A plastic recycling initiative in Bali faces significant challenges, collecting only a fraction of its target waste and contending with broken equipment, financial woes and landfill fires.
Emma Howard reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- A Bali recycling project supported by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste has fallen short, handling less than 25% of its intended 2,200 annual tons of waste.
- Operational failures include broken waste collection vehicles and recycling equipment, forcing residents to burn trash and worsening landfill pollution.
- Plans to burn waste in cement kilns have raised health and environmental concerns, sparking criticism from local communities and activists.
Key quote:
“There has been no fleet to pick up trash from my house for a long time. So I still use a bucket to collect trash, but I burn the trash behind my house.”
— Ni Luh Sumitri, Bali resident
Why this matters:
Efforts to address plastic pollution often fall short without sustainable planning and support. Struggling projects risk worsening environmental and health impacts, like air pollution and unmanaged waste. Effective solutions require robust funding, local engagement and scalable systems.
Learn more: Opinion: The myth of plastic recycling needs reevaluation
