Eco-Friendly & Sustainable living in Bali
For as long as I’ve known, my mum has consistently embraced an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle. She was environmentally conscious long before it became cool (and necessary). Food in our household never went to waste. As a former nurse with a passion for cooking, she always prepared nutritious and healthy meals and found creative ways to transform our leftovers into new, fun, and exciting dishes. Anything that couldn’t be saved was composted to nurture her herb & vegetable garden at home. My grandfather had a green thumb and taught her and her siblings how to plant & grow trees. Paired with her experience as a scout, she learned survival skills and could forage her own food in the wild. Honestly, she would kill it on the TV show Survivor, or Masterchef, for that matter.
Grocery shopping with her is no different; she always carries her reusable grocery bag in her handbag to reduce the need for plastic bags. When major grocery stores like Coles & Woolworths started providing their own reusable bags, she kept them handy in the boot of her car for larger grocery runs. So, if I learned anything about reducing, reusing, and recycling, I got it from my mama! My eco-friendly Queen!
Everything my mum knows about living an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle, she learned from her childhood growing up in a small village in Bali. Now that I’ve moved to Bali, I want to make sure that I’m doing my part. I must say, I am nowhere near as self-sufficient as my mum, but I am doing everything I can to live as sustainably as possible.
The Issue
Rubbish has become a real concern in Bali due to the surge in tourism. This increase has led to a noticeable rise in plastic waste, and unfortunately, Indonesia lacks an efficient waste management system to address the problem. In contrast, back in Australia, I was taught to separate plastics from general waste, so when I moved to Bali, I found it challenging to throw plastics into the general waste bin. To tackle this, I started collecting all my plastic bottles, hoping to find a better solution. Soon, my plastic collection turned into a hoarding issue that needed addressing before my house became overrun. It was crazy to see how much plastic we accumulated in such a short period of time.
Recycling Solution #1
GrabExpress Recycle
I discovered that Grab had a recycling program in collaboration with Aqua #LangkahHijau, where you could request a free GrabExpress Recycle pick-up service through their app. The steps were simple: Select “Express” in your Grab app, enter “GRABAQUA” in the Delivery field, find the nearest drop-off point, choose GrabExpress Recycle as your service, and use the Promo Code GRABAQUA to waive the delivery fee.
So, I gathered my Aqua bottles and packed them into a bag that the Grab driver could easily handle on his scooter. Following the app steps, my Grab driver came to pick up the goods. I excitedly tracked him on the app, feeling hopeful that my plastics were finally going to get recycled properly. When he arrived near the drop-off point, he called, asking, “Hey, where am I dropping this off?” I didn’t have a specific address, so I just said, “Grab or Aqua Recycle?” He said okay, hung up, and completed the trip, sharing a random snapshot of the bag of plastics sitting in a corner. At this point, I was scratching my head, not really sure if my plastics had ended up where they were supposed to or if the place even existed at all.
Feeling hopeful that maybe the Grab driver didn’t understand the assignment, I gave it another shot. But, surprise, surprise, I ended up with the exact same outcome. Except this time, my bag of plastic bottles was casually leaning against a random, unassuming wall on the street.
Mission GrabExpress Recycle = Fail
Recycling Solution #2
EcoBali
After a bit of digging, I stumbled upon EcoBali on Instagram. A waste management organization that handles paper, plastic, glass, and metal waste from homes and businesses. They provide 2 bags for sorting plastics, glass, and metal, and another for paper waste, swapping them with fresh bags every week. Although it comes at a cost of Rp130,000 per month + 11% VAT, it was exactly what I needed. So I signed up right away.
Since I started using this service, my general waste bin went from overflowing to nearly empty every week. Needless to say, I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Even though I didn’t end up using Grab’s recycling service, if it’s something you need, it’s worth checking out. You never know, it might be perfect for you. On a side note, I noticed that Grab Malaysia has launched a new Plastic Recycling program that transforms old plastics into Grab vouchers. Here’s hoping something similar rolls out in Indonesia, to make the recycling process even smoother.
Other Eco-Friendly Solutions I Found in Bali
While searching for the best recycling solutions, I came across some pretty cool eco-friendly businesses here in Indonesia. I’ve started incorporating their products into my home bit by bit. Check out this list of items I’m using or planning to use to boost the sustainability vibe at home. I’ll be updating this list as I find more cool stuff, so stay tuned!
Bresih Bali
Plant based – Eco Cleaning liquids for your home & business.
https://linktr.ee/bresih
Tisoo
Plastic & Tree-free tissue paper. The highest quality bamboo tissue.
https://tisoo.id/
Terra Water
100% Natural Water Filter.
https://www.terrawaterindonesia.com/
Buangin
Waste Management Company stopping general waste and hard rubbish from ending up in landfills. Use the Buangin App to book your pick up (Currently only available in Denpasar)
https://www.buangin.com/
Other Resources
Sungai Watch
Stopping plastic from going into the ocean by cleaning our rivers
https://sungai.watch/
