At first glance, Mengening Beach is a slice of paradise—waves crashing against black volcanic sand, a temple extending into the sea, and sunsets that take your breath away. But hidden within its beauty is an ongoing battle against plastic pollution. Despite repeated cleanup efforts, trash continues to wash ashore, carried by the river that flows directly into the ocean.
On this day, I Nyoman Nuarta (Ucik) and the 4ocean Denpasar team arrived at the beach, hoping to find it cleaner than before. Instead, we were met with an unsettling reality—plastic bottles, ghost nets, dolls, even helmets and jerry cans were scattered along the shoreline. In total, our team removed 272.90 pounds of plastic waste.
While cleaning, we traced the source of the pollution back to the river. It became clear that much of the waste was not just from local sources but was also being carried from other areas. Many people still discard their trash directly into the river, unaware—or perhaps indifferent—to where it ultimately ends up.
“We have cleaned this beach so many times, but every time we return, it’s polluted again,” I reflected. “I sincerely hope our efforts to educate the community will lead to lasting change.”
Education remains the key to solving this crisis. Our team encourages the community to start sorting waste properly and to move away from single-use plastics. We emphasize the importance of instilling these habits in children from an early age, ensuring a cleaner future for Mengening Beach.
Every small effort contributes to a greater change. As we stood on the now-cleared shoreline, looking out at the horizon, we knew that while our work was far from over, today’s cleanup was another step in the right direction.
