The SeaCleaners celebrates science in Bali!

While there is still a long way to go to significantly reduce the amount of waste on the island of Bali, efforts are underway to fight plastic pollution. Locals and associations are becoming more and more involved in this fight, thanks to in-depth awareness work, the implementation of cleaning programs and the promotion of sustainable alternatives.

It is in this context that The SeaCleaners has joined forces with the French Institute of Indonesia and the Alliance Française Bali to create the first Balinese Science Festival! More than 70 international and Indonesian students were able to learn about the problem of plastic pollution, its limits and its solutions, during a day animated by a dynamic team.

The tools developed by our Education Department in Bahasa Indonesian were tested with a public that does not have the same codes, the same relationship to the marine environment or the same acculturation to sustainable development as in Europe. Although Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, the Balinese are mostly Hindu (93%). The Balinese days are punctuated by prayers, offerings and religious ceremonies, many of which are addressed to the deities of the seas and rivers. It is this particular context that had to be taken into consideration in the awareness raising process of this Science Festival. The result? It’s a match! Mantawa, Chamboul’tout, memory and escape game have fulfilled their mission of education and entertainment for the high school students, who challenged themselves all afternoon.

The same fight and common strength

And to complete this team, volunteers from local associations came to help in the organization: Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Plastik Detox, Coral Triangle Center, OceanKita, Social Project Bali, SMAN 4 Denpasar. A great opportunity to highlight citizen initiatives, essential in this archipelago suffocated by waste. Remember that the task is immense: Bali is one of the smallest islands of the Indonesian archipelago, but also one of the most affected by plastic pollution. 90% of the inhabitants live less than a kilometer from one of the 372 rivers that irrigate the island. This water network is an incredible wealth for vegetation and agriculture. Unfortunately, it is also an ideal means of transport for plastic waste… According to the organization Sungaï Watch, about 33,000 tons of plastic enter Bali’s rivers every year, that is to say about 90 tons per day.

With our partners on site, we are ready to roll up our sleeves!