Surrounded by the sea, Bali is well known as the most popular island in Indonesia archipelago. It has varied landscape and fine sandy beaches, a perfect paradise for surfers and divers around the world.
But lately, a bunch of plastic waste found on the Bali’s beaches areas. This phenomenon attracts many attentions from people around the world as it impacts its tourism. Bali is seriously facing plastic pollution crisis. Responding to this case, the idea of plastic waste management has been created by some of stakeholders in Bali.
The Komitmen initative is one of the waste management programs in Bali, launched by One Island One Voice (OIOV). It was 7 years ago, when the founder Melati Wijen was just 12 years old and first she asked Bali to say goodbye to plastic bags. Through OIOV’s latest initiative Komitmen, OIOV collaborates with individuals, organization, companies and even government to reduce plastic usage from individual’s daily activities and any business operations.
On 23rd June 2019, finally great movement was taken in whole Bali after huge effort and approach by OIOV, that the usage of all single use plastic bag has been prohibited in Bali, announced by the governor.
Ametis Villa has signed up the Komitmen Initiative on 7th August 2019 to commit to achieve the action to support and protect the environment in Bali. We started from reducing the usage of plastic, such as no single use plastic cups nor straws, replacing plastic bag with biodegradable bags, and separate organic and inorganic waste. Villa is planning to replace all plastic drinking water bottles to refill pure healthy drinking water in all guests villas. It’s not easy to commit to say no single use plastic. Nothing can be done without support by like-minded local organizations.
Moreover, Ametis conducts regular coastal beach cleaning corporate with surrounding business establishments. As villa is located in the most hypest Bali Beach, Batu Bolong Canggu, preventing beach from the pollution is our highest concern. OIOV’s Bali’s biggest beach clean up was taken place for a third year in a row, on 16 February 2019, and Ametis also took a part. OIOV gathered many volunteers and companies locally and internationally. Most volunteer are coming from Indonesia, with the youngest coordinator aged 12 and the oldest 64. This year clean up action gathered 13,000 people in 150 locations and collected over 30 tons of plastic.
Founder of OVOI, Melati Wijsen says ‘we are working towards 1000 business to join the KOMITMEN by end of this year’.
Do you commit?
It’s very important for individuals to start the initiative which will create huge changes to keep our island clean for our future generation. Visit OIOV’s website to find out more information.