World Environment Day 2025: Bali to ban small plastic water bottles in bid to tackle pollution

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The administration of Indonesia's tourist island of Bali is planning to forbid the production of water bottles of less than one litre as part of its efforts to reduce plastic pollution on the island, a problem affecting numerous popular destinations.

A meeting between the Balinese authorities and a number of major bottled water producers took place last month in Denpasar, Bali's provincial capital, where Governor I Wayan Koster officially announced the new policy, which is set to take effect in January next year, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Businesses must immediately end their production and sell off their remaining stock. By next year, water bottles under one litre will no longer be circulated across Bali," he said, stressing that the plan has support from the central government.

He said almost all landfill sites across the island have reached full capacity, with most of the waste consisting of single-use plastics, particularly water bottles.

"Bali is a place admired for its culture and nature. If it's full of garbage, who would come? If tourists disappear, the economy would stop growing," said Koster, expressing hope that the policy would help Bali serve as a model for other regions in Indonesia in adopting environmentally friendly policies.

A circular on the issue from the Balinese administration was issued in April, prohibiting the use of single-use plastics, including plastic bags and plastic straws, in government offices, businesses and markets, public institutions, and places of worship.

Moreover, the management of these places and facilities must have proper waste and pollution management systems, for instance, sorting waste, composting organic materials, and recycling inorganic waste.

Non-compliance would lead to the revocation of business permits. Meanwhile, villages failing to obey the policy would lose public assistance.

According to the National Waste Management Information System, operated by the Environment Ministry, the waste pile in Bali last year reached 1.2 million tons, with Denpasar being the largest contributor, generating around 360,000 tons.

In February, the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), a Jakarta-based energy and climate policy think tank, reported that waste generation in Bali increased by 30 per cent from 2000 to 2024, mainly due to a lack of awareness of waste management in much of the community.

"The increase in waste piles, not accompanied by the ability to manage them or the availability of waste infrastructure in Bali, has caused these landfills to no longer be able to accommodate the increasing volume of waste," IESR's Executive Director Fabby Tumiwa said.

Koster is also calling on bottled water producers to be innovative and creative in keeping Bali clean from pollution and waste.

"Many countries have expressed their appreciation for this restriction. This is not an ordinary ban. It's a strategic step for Bali to become a global example," he said.

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