Clean Bondalem
We are working on the Trash Clean Up project in two stages. Our motto is: Live by Example
“A CLEAN BONDALEM”
or
“BONDALEM BERSIH”
Until not too long ago, everything in Bali was organic. Everything was wrapped in either banana leaves, or other natural products, which could be tossed into the garden, given to the pigs to eat, or otherwise be thrown into the catch-all Rivers, which took all organic trash out to sea without long range threats to the environment.
With the advent of plastic, and the globalization of western products, and the lack of funding for local trash service, we now find that Balinese are still throwing the leftovers, their trash, which is now largely consisting of plastic products, on the ground, or burning it, which not only burden the environment, but also threatens their health.
Up to this day, Balinese are throwing their trash into the river. During the rainy season the trash is swept into the ocean, threatening to suffocate the coral reefs.
We still don’t have trash pick-up in Bondalem, in the village that surrounds ShangriLa Oceanside Retreat, which has about 3000 inhabitants.
When we moved to Bondalem in 2005 we were facing a bit of trash everywhere. But instead of waiting for the BIG BROTHER to do it, or just sitting around and complain, we decided to do something.
The Mayor had tried to get every household to pay an equivalent of 50 cents per month. Not much by our standarts, but in a village where 80% of the villagers are unemployed, that is a lot.
Furthermore, no one was willing to put out money for a project that has never been tested. Who knows, they wondered who really gets the money.
So we started out to set an example. by cleaning our beach and all the walk ways surrounding ShangriLa.
Once our neighboring fishermen, their children, and our many employees would get used to a clean environment, they too may be more inclined to keep Bali beautiful.
After all we too had to be told not to litter, and there are still many signs along all US highways, that remind everyone that littering will be fined. We too are throwing our garbage into the sea, as still done in New York, where daily shiploads of garbage are being unloaded into the ocean.
Low and behold, everyone loved it. The Balinese are an aesthetic people, but habits are slow to change. No trash service makes it hard to keep everything clean.
Two of our neighbors and us donated money to have the river cleaned monthly. It is about a length of 150 meters/yards, where we placed a blockade to catch the trash before the river flows into the ocean. This blockade stops a lot of the trash, which we then have picked up and transported to a landfill.
For about 50 € per year from each of us,three parties in all, we were able to clean the mouth of the river effectively, so that most all the trash from this one river is now being transported to Singaraja’s landfill, a larger town about 1 hour away.
Next, we cleaned the street that leads to ShangriLa, a longer road that goes from the ocean to the Bazaar. And we had our windy walk way to ShangriLa cleaned daily.
Also all our staff worked on cleaning the entire beach in front of ShangriLa. All of its trash gone now, will set an example of beauty and serenity to the children who come and play and all the Balinese who walk by.
We also started a composting project, and were teaching all our staff about the value of trash separation, and organic composting. Our gardeners, who head this project, were able to turn four large rainwater barrels of compost into rich soil in seven weeks! After adding compost, grass clippings, and water, we close the lids, and turn the barrels daily. The sun does the rest!
We also distributed 100 Children’s books to 9 nine schools, to teach children about recycling.
The teachers are very eager to help and they do use these books, which teach not to throw trash into the river or street, and instead shows the power for recycling. It is written in three languages: Balinese, Indonesian and English.
However, we need trashcans at the schools, so that there is a way to separate organic trash, in order that children are able to follow through with what they learn in their books.
At ShangriLa we have started two community projects in Bondalem.
The first project is: THE PLASTIC BANK
1) Here we set up a collection station at the daily market , the Bazaar, where we
- BUY back all plastic for a set price
- Separate the trash,
- Resell it to a collector in Sinagaraja
In Bondalem it still pays for the average householder to collect the plastic and sell it to add to the meager income. We hope to inspire everyone to slowly be aware of trash, the environment and the benefit of beauty
The second project is: TRASH PICK UP
2) We envision regular Trash Pick Up and we are collecting funds in order to:
- supply all households with a trash can
- buy a trash truck for transportation to Singaraja
- pay a salary to about 10 people to service 3000 homes
- pay a salary for a book keeper and coordinator
- teach about recycling and composting
We will need approximately 20.000 €, approximately $30.000 US for this portion of this project.
After one year, we think every householder in Bondalem will be willing to pay 50 cents towards a project that brings tangible results. In Ubud daily trash service is being offered for $4 US per month.
Donate here for the Trash project:
- with Credit Card or by PAY PAL
- Oder eine Spende auf das Deutsche SPENDEN KONTO siehe unten
$25 US Donation
$100 US Donation
Deutsche Bankverbindung
Ilona Selke
Volksbank Bonn Rhein Sieg
D-53111 Bonn
Deutschland
IBAN Nr. lautet: DE 68 3806 0186 2012 7070 48
BIC: GENODED1BRS
LAND/BLZ: 380 601 86
Konto Nr: 2012 7070 48
BETREFF: DRINGEND bitte angeben: SPENDEN Bali MUELL