Why do I often see local people throwing rubbish in empty lots and rivers?

Superficially this question may not seem to have cultural connections; but when you analyse this carefully, you’ll find that there is a cultural basis to the way local people (dis) regard their environment.

Before the advent of plastic, Indonesian society—especially in Bali—only dealt with organic matter. Something would be created, used and then disposed of—often in the same place. Each household had scavenging animals that wandered freely and were all too happy to gobble up food scraps in an instant; anything else would shrivel up in the sun or rot in the rivers.

Today the Balinese live in a different world. Only a small percentage of what people consume in Bali is organic. The rest is made from processed, man-made materials; many of which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Sadly, people living in Bali have been slow to adapt to these new materials.

A similar ‘transition period’ occurred in developed countries for many decades. I still remember seeing people in “clean, green New Zealand” biffing all sorts of rubbish from their car windows, right up until the early 1990s. Why has there been a change in countries like New Zealand? The government took the reins and educated people (and imposed hefty fines for littering).

It’s common knowledge that plastic is one of the biggest environmental nasties—especially those horribly toxic little black plastic bags that just about everyone (please, turn them down) gets when they shop at markets and warung across Bali. As an outsider, a way you can help is to set a good example. Say “no” to plastic bags when you shop (anywhere) and bring your own bag or ask for a box. Mention to any sales person that there is too much plastic in Bali.

The environmentally concerned among us are still anticipating effective governmental media campaigns. However, while we wait, we can take action ourselves.