©
Julie_Sourdois
Indonesia Travel Guide
©
Julie_Sourdois
An open-air tip …that's how one pessimist described Bali the beautiful. It's true that the future isn't looking rosy, but all is not lost. But the plastic needs to be dealt with, and fast!
The problem has already been talked about many times but what can you do if you want to be an ecotourist? A few ideas on how you can help conserve and improve Bali.
On Bali alone 150 tonnes of rubbish are produced everyday. And they don't have any means of separating or treating it. And the locals don't seem to have any sense of environmental friendliness either...
Some private organisations and charities have started trying to sort out rubbish and manage the plastic situation but because of the size of the rubbish problem their efforts are pretty ineffectual at the moment. Politicians have nothing to say on the subject and nothing much is being done.
A low impact traveller brings as little plastic as possible in their baggage. And if you can't manage without, then take it home with you afterwards. Yes, it will take up space in your bag but at least you know it will be recycled when you dispose of it at home. And above all, don't burn it while you are there!
Secondly, say no thank you to all the dozens of little bags that you will be offered whenever you purchase anything, however small, while you are on the island. These little bags are automatically used everywhere in Asia by all the small shopkeepers but the problem is they then get thrown away all over the landscape.
Finally, try to use hotels, restaurants and service providers who are making an effort to ban plastic and use other more natural materials, like wood or paper.
If you want to know more about the problem then you should find out about the charity, Peduli Alam, which is run by lovely Frenchwoman, who is doing a great job from her base on the east of the island.
