According to the United Nations Environment Programme, “with a population of 250 million, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country and second-largest plastic polluter in the world after China. The country produces 3.2 million tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste a year, of which about 1.29 million tonnes ends up in the sea.”
Waste management services across Indonesia are limited and plastic ends up discarded on the ground or being burned. Both of these outcomes are bad for human well-being and the environment. When plastic is burned, toxic gasses are released and can lead to significant negative health outcomes. Plastic that is discarded on the ground enters watersheds through streams, creeks, and rivers and eventually ends up in the ocean, harming marine life. Current estimates are that less than 10% of plastic in Lombok is properly managed.