Trash keeps piling up in Klungkung District, particularly during the rainy season when it can increase by up to 10 percent. Most of the garbage is plastics from households, supermarkets, minimarkets, and many other sources.
“The volume increases around 10 percent from the usual amount of 210 cubic meters,” said Anak Agung Ngurah Kirana, Head of Klungkung Environmental and Land Agency. He attributed the surge to the fact that many residents are using plastics, more so since supermarkets are still handing out plastic bags to carry groceries.
According to Nusa Bali, soon the situation might be improved with the Agency’s plan to launch the biogreen bag program. In collaboration with a third party, the basic material for the bag will be made from corn. “We will socialize the program during a car-free day,” Kirana said.
He added that his teams also plan to socialize the harm in using plastics as it could become a breeding ground for diseases and is highly toxic to health and the environment when burned. “We will conduct the socialization program regarding the dangers of plastics right down to the village level.”
Kirana hopes that the program can discourage the public to use plastic, and also encourage each village to build their own waste management facilities, especially since the only such facility in Klungkung—TPA Sente—will be closing at the end of the year. Afterwards, they might be able to use the regional waste management facility in Bangli but as of now, they’ve yet to receive a permit from the Bali Government as the site’s owner.
Photo: www.magicseaweed.com
