When we think of travelling the world we envisage countries immersed in diverse culture, lined with white sands and unbelievably tranquil waters; beautiful places far away from that relentless ‘9-5’ life. Discovering SE Asia was nothing short of all of the above. Yet for me, my experience was tainted by the sad reality of one of humanity’s greatest addictions: plastic. And it was everywhere.
The more popular the route the more crowded and uncared for. Admittedly, a lot of the places that my partner and I visited were in parts disappointingly anti – climactic. Only when we went off the beaten track (so to speak) did our immediate surroundings feel somewhat untouched and as they ‘should’ be.
Bali, an extremely popular destination for travellers, is a strong example for me in terms of challenging, even changing, my perspective of the travelling experience today.
Bali evokes the cliché of paradise, the classic image of Julia Roberts wandering Padang Padang beach. Yet Indonesia produces around 130,000 tonnes of plastic (contributing up to 12 million tonnes entering our oceans each year, that’s a truck load every minute) with only 50% reaching legal dumping grounds. A virtual lack of investment in municipal collection and recycling systems means the local populace have little alternative than to throw most of their rubbish into rivers and the sea. This alongside poor government regulation and lack of awareness ensures this sad statistic is ubiquitous across the island. We witnessed a plethora of plastic from bottles, bags, cigarette ends, sachets, flip flops (you name it) littering beaches, clogging up local waterways and contaminating precious eco systems.
The scale of plastic concentration has become so critical in some areas of Indonesia that the Army has been deployed to tackle the issue i.e. Bandung’s colossal plastic iceberg.
We are now no stranger to the devastating impact this is having on marine life. Plastic is making its way across the food chain, from turtles becoming entangled and choking on fishing nets to creatures ingesting tiny pieces of plastic, infecting stomachs and causing premature deaths. Recent research has shockingly detected microplastics in human stools exposing the chilling reality that plastic may spreading in the human food chain too.
This side of exploring the world isn’t communicated nearly enough. Travellers (myself included) quite often neglect to share these uncomfortable truths on social media, or when we finally come home to tell of our exciting adventures in our somewhat removed urban lifestyles.
Of course, you only have to watch haunting documentaries like the BBC’s Drowning in Plastic (link) to realise the sheer scale of the crisis. We must face the reality that we are all key players in this tragedy. From the packaging we dispose of, to the products we use and the clothes we wear – this is a universal issue. Yet to witness the plastic devastation unfold in real time, to see our beautiful planet depleted in the name of profit, capitalism and greed, is quite an emotional and uncomfortable experience. As travellers, we are guilty of contributing to this ever-growing problem.
How can we minimise our plastic impact when we travel?
Perhaps the immediate response would be to not travel at all. It would certainly significantly reduce our carbon footprint if nothing else. However, in this changeable 21st century context, where the revolution of globalisation and technology is now so imbedded into our way of life, is it possible to completely stop? You could also argue that the human need to discover has always been a huge part of our identity; you only have to look at our history to attest to that.
We all have a collective responsibility to ensure we keep waste and extravagance to a minimum. For the times that we do inevitably book that plane ticket, we absolutely must be mindful of what and how we consume to ensure that we tread as lightly as possible. We simply cannot continue to behave as if we have another planet to go to.
Tips on how to travel more conscientiously and reduce your plastic consumption.
When travelling around SE Asia, the perpetual reality of plastic production and our incessant throwaway culture is so painfully prevalent. Big companies are crudely known to sell millions of plastic products for dirt cheap to local Indonesian households and businesses. This, along with Indonesia’s notoriously poor waste management system, makes attempting to reduce your own plastic consumption as a traveller quite daunting.
Yet perhaps there are a few small steps we can take to reduce our impact when travelling the world to help preserve and protect its beauty:
- Refuse plastic bags
Whatever you buy in Asia, more often than not, it will be given to you in a plastic bag. It seems obvious but ensuring you’re carrying a bag large enough to not have to accept a plastic one feels so simple, yet it can be hugely impactful. The 5p plastic bag charge in the UK has seen phenomenal results. Government research shows that Supermarket giants (including the likes of Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys) reduced their plastic bag sales by 83% in 2016/17, that’s over 6 billion plastic bags less per annum entering our oceans. Of course often there’s not the same financial incentive attached when travelling abroad, however I think it emphasises the point that a simple act such as refusing a plastic bag is no small feat.
- Bring your own reusable bottle
SE Asia is renowned for its dodgy water supply. As travellers, to prevent the dreaded upset stomach, you tend to avoid water out of the tap like the plague. Sadly, it then seems almost unavoidable to not buy plastic bottles when you’re travelling around Asia’s hot and humid climes. You can buy reusable bottles with their own filter built in and look out for hostels and restaurants with water purification systems where you can refill you bottles, we came across a few!
- Get involved in environmental clean ups
Seminyak Beach, Bali, was a pinnacle moment for me in terms of experiencing first-hand the sheer scale of the plastic pollution in Indonesia. A plastic tide of rubbish choked and contaminated what should have been a breath-taking seascape. The habitual and infamous fly tipping during the rainy season sees tonnes of rubbish washed up daily on Indonesian shores.
We came across the grassroots campaign ‘One Island, One Voice’, a network of local organisations active in waste prevention and management, and were fortunate enough to be in the area when one of its 120 beach clean ups were facilitated. This year alone they have mobilised 20,000 participants (a significant rise from the 12,000 who participated in 2017) and have collected 65 tonnes of rubbish. Disappointedly, my partner and I were only two out of four travellers who turned up to help on the day. Hopefully as the campaign grows and awareness builds, so will engagement from travellers.
When on the Gili Islands we found the commendable NGO Gili Eco Trust with a programme offer dedicated to conservation and preservation. We took part in Island clean ups including a coconut plantation on Gili Trawangan where rubbish from the Island’s main dump contaminated the area. As well as waste management, the Trust is committed to reef restoration and implementing Biorock work which you as a traveller can play a key part in!
- Power to the consumer!
Many cafes and restaurants in Bali and the surrounding islands were actually pretty clued up in terms of their plastic waste management. Almost every place we went to had an alternative to plastic straws. As with individuals, companies have a huge responsibility to be environmentally conscious and change how they source and produce their products. As a consumer, you have the power to influence business decisions, even abroad. Online platforms such as TripAdvisor can be a powerful tool, not only for deciding where you go for tea. Perhaps if you notice a restaurant or hostel that could do better in terms of its environmental practices, be sure to give them feedback. The dreaded immortality of the online review will hopefully challenge businesses to be more proactive and take action.
Whether abroad or at home, the perpetual nature of our plastic problem simply cannot be ignored any longer. The scale of the issue we are facing is unprecedented, but not impossible to curb. You may feel your individual actions are small and ineffectual yet as David Attenborough movingly states in a video posted by the BBC promoting its Plastics Watch campaign:
‘The actions of any just one of us may seem to be trivial and to have no effect, but the knowledge that there are thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who are doing the same thing, that really does have an effect’.
What are you doing to reduce your plastic consumption abroad and at home? Tips and ideas are most welcome!

 
It's Not Easy Being Green 