Businesses grapple with Bali's single-use plastics ban

The Star

11-06-2025

DENPASAR, Bali: Businesses in Bali are struggling to adapt to the recent ban on single-use plastics on the holiday island, with many resorting to less sustainable alternatives or expressing frustration over the lack of support and guidance from local authorities.
In April, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster issued a circular banning the use of plastic bags, cups, straws and styrofoam in businesses, government offices, schools, hotels, restaurants, markets and places of worship, as part of broader efforts to tackle the island's growing waste problem.
Businesses that fail to comply may face permit revocation, while villages that do not enforce the policy risk losing government assistance.
Since the regulation took effect, many cafes, coffee shops and restaurants in Bali have begun replacing single-use plastic cups with paper alternatives.
However, Catur Yuda Hariyani, director of the Bali Environmental Education Center (PPLH), argued that the shift to paper cups does little to address the island's mounting waste problem.
'We're simply replacing one type of waste with another,' Catur said on Monday (June 9) as reported by Kompas.com.
'What's worse is that paper cups are even harder to recycle because they contain a plastic lining to make them waterproof.
This lining must be separated during the recycling process, but it's extremely difficult to do. As a result, many recyclers won't accept them,' he added. He also warned that many businesses are now using paper cups to serve hot beverages, which poses health risks to consumers.
According to Catur, the inner plastic lining of paper cups contains components such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which can leach into hot liquids. Hot water can also break down the plastic lining, potentially releasing microplastics into the drink.
A 2020 study in India found that within just 15 minutes, a single paper cup of hot coffee or tea can release up to 25,000 microplastic particles into the beverage.
Several in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that micro- and nanoplastics can cause significant harm to the human body, including cell damage, inflammation, oxidative stress and immune system disruption.
Meanwhile, exposure to both bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates can disrupt the endocrine system, potentially affecting reproductive development and behaviour, as well as increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Sellers in traditional markets have also expressed frustration over the lack of practical solutions and guidance from the government following the ban on single-use plastic bags across the island, saying the policy has disrupted their livelihood.
'If I don't use plastic, what can I use to wrap my products, especially since I sell ground spices like pepper and clove?', said Sindy, a spice vendor at Badung Market in Denpasar, in a recent interview.
Rian, a raw chicken seller at the market, shares a similar struggle.
'Buyers rarely bring their own containers and often ask me to put the chicken in plastic bags. Sometimes they even ask me to double-bag to prevent leaks,' he said.
Bali has been grappling with a growing waste crisis in recent years, with unmanaged garbage frequently contributing to environmental problems such as flooding, including in popular tourist areas.
A 2019 study revealed that Bali generates 1.6 million tonnes of trash per year with around 303,000 tonnes of plastic waste. However, only some 48 per cent of Bali's waste is responsibly managed either through recycling or landfill.
A significant portion of collected waste never reaches a recycling facility or any of Bali's 10 official landfills, leading to 33,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into waterways every year.
Governor Wayan previously stated that nearly all landfill sites in Bali have reached full capacity, with the majority of the waste consisting of single-use plastics, particularly water bottles. - The Jakarta Post/ANN