Beautiful Places Full of Trash
Written in Oct 2020
Has it happened to you? A beautiful place or tourist attraction that according to the Instagram pictures looks like paradise, but when you arrive, it is another story? You can still take wonderful selfies, but when you look beyond the frame of your photo, all you see it trash, rubbish and garbage. So sad. And then you start to wonder what can be done.
Let's start with writing about the problem.
At the end of the article are some proposals on how to help. Please share with us more ideas or program that you know.
And by the way, I am happy that my kids saw it. They were already aware of the problem, but it is very impactful to see it with your own eyes.
Let's start with writing about the problem.
At the end of the article are some proposals on how to help. Please share with us more ideas or program that you know.
And by the way, I am happy that my kids saw it. They were already aware of the problem, but it is very impactful to see it with your own eyes.
1. Ujung Genteng Beach
Ujung Genteng is not the most beautiful beach in the world (even on Instagram you will find wonderful pictures), but the beach without trash would be quite OK:
Here is the reality:
Price: around Rp 30 000/per car with 4 person (yes, you have to pay!)
Mode of transportation: Arriving/departing by own vehicle
Where: Ujung Genteng, Ciracap, Sukabumi, West Java 43176
Parking: There is a parking space (full of trash)
Mode of transportation: Arriving/departing by own vehicle
Where: Ujung Genteng, Ciracap, Sukabumi, West Java 43176
Parking: There is a parking space (full of trash)
2. Curung Cikaso (South of West Java)
Curug Cikaso or Cikaso Waterfall is a truly picturesque waterfall in Sukabumi region, South-West Java. If you are route to another destination then you can stop off here; it is not worth visiting this place only. We stopped here on the way home to Jakarta from Turtle Beach.
We visited during a weekday, but if you look at the piles of rubbish, it seems like a popular destination over the weekend.
We visited during a weekday, but if you look at the piles of rubbish, it seems like a popular destination over the weekend.
Stunning, right? Now the reality:
Swimming : It is not possible to swim in waterfall, as it is dangerous
Duration: 1 hour (without car travel). You walk about 3 min from the car-park to the boat and 3 min from the boat to the waterfall. Boat takes 5-10 min each way.
Price: Rp 5 000/person + Rp15 000/car, Rp 5 000/person return ticket for boat ride. We paid Rp 50 000 for a guide that we were advised to take, but he was not necessary.
Time: Anytime, but it might be a popular destination during the weekend. We visited on weekday.
Mode of transportation: Arriving/departing by own vehicle
What to bring: Nothing special, shoes, hat, rain gear (during rainy season), sunblock, mosquito spray, camera
Children age: any
Where: Desa Ciniti, Cibitung, Sukabumi, West Java 43172
Parking: There is a parking space
Contact: +62 (Mobile / WA)
Lunch: There was a person selling cooked corn. Probably on weekend there are sellers of bakso. We didn't find it an attractive place to have a picnic because of all the trash. We had our lunch in the car on the way home.
Duration: 1 hour (without car travel). You walk about 3 min from the car-park to the boat and 3 min from the boat to the waterfall. Boat takes 5-10 min each way.
Price: Rp 5 000/person + Rp15 000/car, Rp 5 000/person return ticket for boat ride. We paid Rp 50 000 for a guide that we were advised to take, but he was not necessary.
Time: Anytime, but it might be a popular destination during the weekend. We visited on weekday.
Mode of transportation: Arriving/departing by own vehicle
What to bring: Nothing special, shoes, hat, rain gear (during rainy season), sunblock, mosquito spray, camera
Children age: any
Where: Desa Ciniti, Cibitung, Sukabumi, West Java 43172
Parking: There is a parking space
Contact: +62 (Mobile / WA)
Lunch: There was a person selling cooked corn. Probably on weekend there are sellers of bakso. We didn't find it an attractive place to have a picnic because of all the trash. We had our lunch in the car on the way home.
3. Kuta Beach in Bali
Last time we didn't dare to swim on Kuta Beach in Bali as it was so polluted.
4. Mount Sesean in Toraja
Tana Toraja in Sulawesi is a clean region. However, we were surprised to see this garbage at the top of Mount Sesean:
Did you know?
Indonesia produces waste up to 175 000 tons/day. Unfortunately only 7,5% of it are recycled and 69% of it goes to landfill.
Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled and the remaining 50% ends up in the landfill.
Jakarta’s garbage is approximately 7 500 tons per day. In 2021, the Bantargebang TPST (the place where all the Jakartans waste ends up) is predicted not to be able to accommodate garbage anymore, because it has exceeded its capacity.
Just for an illustration, the pile of 7 500 tons of garbage per day in Jakarta is almost equal to the Borobudur Temple!
Source: waste4change.com
Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled and the remaining 50% ends up in the landfill.
Jakarta’s garbage is approximately 7 500 tons per day. In 2021, the Bantargebang TPST (the place where all the Jakartans waste ends up) is predicted not to be able to accommodate garbage anymore, because it has exceeded its capacity.
Just for an illustration, the pile of 7 500 tons of garbage per day in Jakarta is almost equal to the Borobudur Temple!
Source: waste4change.com
What can we do?
1) Well, don't produce trash!
2) Wast4 Change - Participate in one of the individual's or company's initiatives of Waste4Change
Responsible Waste Management services available in 6 cities, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Semarang (May 2021).
2) Wast4 Change - Participate in one of the individual's or company's initiatives of Waste4Change
Responsible Waste Management services available in 6 cities, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Semarang (May 2021).
4) If you have a restaurant get inspired by JC Blachère, the owner of restaurant in Kemang Komunal88 that proves that sustainability is not expensive
5) There are some wonderful NGOs that keep educating people, like for example Enjoy Life and their activity Trash Hero.
More information about their projects on Lombok (and Slovakia) please read www.enjoylife.cool
6) We will keep this list growing, letting you know about further initiatives.
Or you can reach us via email: [email protected]