June 2, 2025
JAKARTA – Bali Governor I Wayan Koster has announced plans to ban the production of water bottles smaller than 1 liter, in an effort to address the island’s growing waste problem, which has been linked to several environmental disasters.
On Thursday, Koster summoned bottled water producers to a meeting in Denpasar to announce a new policy banning the production of water bottles smaller than 1 liter, which is set to take effect in January next year.
“To preserve Bali’s environment and ecosystem, the production of bottled water under one liter must stop,” Koster said, as quoted by Kompas.com. “I am ordering an immediate end to production, and businesses must sell off their remaining stock so that, by next year, no bottles under 1 liter are in circulation across Bali.”
Wayan said 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.
“Bali attracts many tourists because of its beautiful ecosystem and culture. If the environment is damaged, no one will want to come here anymore, no tourists, no investors. Without tourism, there will be no economic growth,” he added.
Wayan said the policy had received the full support of the central government, saying that Bali would serve as a model for other regions in adopting environmentally friendly policies.
Last month, Koster issued a circular as part of broader efforts to reduce waste in Bali.
The regulation bans the use of single-use plastics, including plastic bags, styrofoam products and plastic straws, across a wide range of establishments, including businesses, government offices, schools, hotels, restaurants, markets and places of worship.
These establishments are also required to sort their waste, compost organic materials and recycle inorganic waste, either independently or through third-party services, so that only residual waste ends up in landfills.
Businesses that fail to comply may face permit revocation, while villages that do not enforce the policy risk losing government assistance.
Overtourism and overdevelopment have become serious issues in Bali, leading to environmental issues such as flooding and mounting waste.
In recent months, torrential downpours have triggered widespread flooding across Bali, submerging roads, homes, hotels and villas, including in some of the island’s most popular tourist areas.
On Wednesday, coastal floods swept through several villages in Jembrana regency, inundating approximately 30 homes and causing extensive damage to many.
Just days earlier, heavy rainfall caused a breach in a river embankment in Bungaya village, Karangasem regency, flooding multiple houses with water levels reaching up to 1 meter. Villagers blamed the overflow on trash caught beneath a nearby bridge, which obstructed the river’s flow.
In January, monsoon rains brought what an activist described as “the worst” waves of plastic waste to hit its tourist-favored beaches.
Across Kedonganan Beach in the south of the island, plastic cups, straws, cutlery and empty coffee sachets were scattered across the sand, mixed with plant and wood debris.
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 percent 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.
The study also revealed that Bali’s domestic and international tourists generate 3.5 times more waste per day than residents, accounting for 13 percent of Bali’s total waste.