The lure of Bali is mainly its natural and cultural setting. Tourism has brought considerable benefits such as economic growth and employment opportunities but not without a heavy price. The developments, services and human congestion that go along with it have put pressure on the very resources that bring visitors to Bali's shores. Much of the pressure comes in the form of waste.Here are some facts to put things in perspective:
- Around 60% of solid waste in Bali is scattered around the island - in mangroves, rivers and vacant lots (source: Wisnu Foundation). This not only threatens the island's aesthetic appeal but also endangers its people and resources. Wastewater, from residual waste and sewage, causes further sanitation problems and biodiversity change, among others.
- An estimated 25% of waste is generated by the tourism industry. An average hotel room generates 5 kg of waste per day - twice what an average household produces (source: Jimbaran Lestari).
- Waste generated by hotels: paper and cardboard, aluminum items, plastic products, oils & fat, hazardous waste (e.g. batteries), discarded equipment, appliances and furniture
In Bali, businesses that generate more than two cubic meters of waste per day are expected to pay for the appropriate disposal of their waste (Polluter Pays Principle). In the early 90s, waste management was mainly handled by an informal system of waste pickers and waste dealers. Food scraps were sold to pig farmers and recyclables (glass, aluminum, paper, etc.) were sold to agents. The residual waste disposal proved to be a problem since most were just dumped or burned. Though this informal waste hauler system was relatively low cost and provided local employment, lack of awareness, training and funds prevented proper waste handling.Non-government organizations such as Wisnu Foundation (http://baliwww.com/wisnuenviroworks/) and Bali Fokus (http://www.balifokus.org) enabled the hospitality industry to become more aware and accountable for the impact their waste has on the very environment that drives their business. Here are some milestones they have achieved:
1994 - Wisnu Foundation performs a solid waste management audit on a starred hotel in Bali and recommends a system of source separation and onsite composting.
1995 - Wisnu Foundation forms a partnership with a hotel waste hauler and negotiates contracts with hotels in Southern Bali. The waste hauler becomes Jimbaran Lestari, a private material recovery facility (MRF) that now manages the waste of over 25 hotels in Bali.
2000 - Wisnu Foundation, in association with Bali Hotels Association and other agencies, creates an Eco-Hotel Rating Program.
2000-2001 - Bali Fokus helps launch environmental management systems in 30 hotels in Bali, works with Bali Hotels Association to conduct a structured audit of its member hotels, produces a publication with eco-rating guidelines and best practices from participating hotels.
Hotels have since implemented the following waste management approaches:
- Employing a private material recovery facility (MRF) to handle their solid waste (eg. Jimbaran Lestari - http://jimbaranlestari.org/) - These facilities pick up segregated solid waste everyday and do the sorting, recycling and composting for properties that lack space. They generate reports based on the amount of waste they collect that allow properties to monitor their waste generation. Below is a diagram of the process taken from a study conducted by Janeen Tang - A Case Study of Hotel Solid Waste Management Program in Bali, Indonesia.
- RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) - Source separation in every department, composting, identifying recycling opportunities (paper, plastics, etc.), assessing purchasing decisions based on environmental impact (recycling costs, waste generated, etc.)
- Staff awareness, education and training
- Installing or connecting to a sewage treatment plant (STP) - For treatment of wastewater and reuse of gray water.
- Reed-bed and water garden treatment systems - Engineered wetlands that are a natural alternative to electromechanical wastewater treatment plants. Main premise is that microorganisms in the root system of plants such as reeds and certain flowers remove contaminants in wastewater.
Great research! It will be interesting to see where the Aman Resort fits in terms of its waste production. I'm glad we'll get to learn about what steps they take towards sustainability.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked at the 5 kg per day figure. How would you rate Bali's waste management policies with that of other places?
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up in places where tourism is the main industry (the Turks and Caicos Islands) I have watched what was once a pristine beach, turn into something like a garbage ridden wasteland. It is frightening not only from an aesthetics perspective, but also an ecological one. The wildlife and natural resources of places like Bali are put in danger. The irony of the situation is that tourists come to admire the natural resources of a country and yet they are the cause of so much degeneration. It is heartening to see that Bali is at least taking steps to curb its waste. I wish I could say the Turks and Caicos Islands was doing the same.
ReplyDeleteA previous study done in 1999 by Wisnu that posted a higher figure for Bali - 9.2 kg per hotel room. So, I think it has improved somewhat. However, last 2007, local experts believe that only about 5% of hotels practice proper waste management. This does not help the increasing amount of waste that Bali is grappling with. As the article that Professor Kimes sent us stated, neither the efforts of NGOs nor the planned industrial scale solutions can handle the waste problem on their own.
ReplyDeleteCNN had this the other day about the North Pacific Gyre:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/16/vbs.toxic.garbage.island/index.html
It really should serve as motivation to reduce all non-recyclable waste, and hopefully hotels can help lead this through improved waste management practices.
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis.
ReplyDeletePousadas Ubatuba
hi mate, you have done excellant reserch.really appresiating it. we are in the process of developing a community based waste management system for vilege in Bali, this will done for a assignment as a partial fulfilment of our Masters.. your article is realy gives us much needed information on this subjecrt matter.. could you please send us any further details on solid waste management practice to thiss e amil.
ReplyDeleteI was browsing the net for blogs that tackle about trash removal. Anyway, you can opt for a cost effective waste management and recycling package to keep your area clean. You can choose from a wide range of superior quality waste handling and recycling systems.
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ReplyDeleteHi there, awesome site. I thought the topics you posted on were very interesting. I tried to add your RSS
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Management Audit
Hi
ReplyDeleteThanks for this all information about hotel management system i like it thanks
Hotel management system
Hey Bianca,
ReplyDeleteI also want to say thanks for putting me in the picture of Bali's waste management - I'm a travel blogger and try to understand the background of the area I'm writing about.