16 Sep CTC and Sanur Hotels Unite for International Coastal Cleanup Day

At 6:30am on September 16, 2017, there was an infectious energy of enthusiasm and goodwill only found when people gather together for a higher purpose. On the morning of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) day over 200 participants in the Sanur area united to collect rubbish along our beaches and raise awareness about plastic pollution and marine debris. The global initiative was originally started by the Ocean Conservancy to harness the power of people to fight ocean trash and has so far had over 12 million people participate.

This year it was coordinated for the 4^th time by the Fairmont Hotel in the Sanur. The group included The Bali Hotel Association (made up of 21 hotels), along with the CTC and two schools. Many participants were made up of hotel staff who now, after the event, have a greater understanding about marine pollution. They experienced first hand the statistics that say every year thousands of tons of garbage winds up in the oceans, with 60% of it made up of plastic material.

Mr Arim Gede Harimbawo Sukarma, lead coordinator for the Coastal Clean Up Day in Sanur, said “We successfully collected 124.75 kg of waste, down from last year where we collected 222 kg. This means people in Sanur have started to be aware of keeping the beaches clean”.

He later added, “We just love coordinating this because we share the same mission to keep Sanur beaches clean. We dream to have more support from everyone around Sanur and make this a massive movement next time”.

Setting an example for saying “no” to plastic, lunches were packaged in banana leaves and water was provided from refill stations. Rubbish was collected in second-hand pillowcases, laundry bags, sugar and rice sacks.

As part of the commitment to environment, participants also received plants from Dinas Lingkungan Hidup Kota Denpasar to be planted at their venue as a constant reminder of our environmental responsibility.

Involved in education and advocacy for the event, CTC look forward to strengthening partnerships with hotels and the new CTC Center for Marine Conservation.