These brilliant barriers help block plastic pollution in Indonesia

Bali-based environmental organisation Sungai Watch has installed 100 river-barriers, so far capturing almost 350 tonnes of plastic waste that would otherwise have ended up in the ocean.

Sungai Watch barriers stop river plastic reaching the sea

Sungai Watch created a system to clean every river in Indonesia by 2025, and eventually the world. After testing with different techniques, they identified the most efficient barrier: a flexible and movable, low cost barrier for smaller river streams. Sungai Watch has already cleaned over 100 rivers in Indonesia, installed more than 100 barriers, collecting over 345,000kg of plastic. They count a team of 55 members that participated in over 100 community cleanups. 

The barriers also serve as a conversation starter to curb plastic pollution at a local level

Founded in 2020 by Gary, Kelly and Sam Bencheghib in Bali, Indonesia, Sungai Watch is now a team of 55 passionate river warriors, working every day to create solutions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from going into the ocean. 

By designing simple trash barriers and operating a collection, sorting and up-cycling system, they have created a scalable approach to tackling plastic pollution. SungaiWatch are on a mission to install 1,000 barriers by 2023.

With more than 80% of plastic waste in the ocean coming from rivers, SungaiWatch believe that the best solution to tackling the problem is by stopping plastic directly at the source with affordable and scalable solutions, upstream in our rivers.

Sungai Watch are scaling rapidly and currently expanding their operation throughout Bali and in Java, Indonesia, the world’s most populated island and home to 90 of the world’s 1,000 most polluted rivers. They have also begun researching an international expansion through Asia and Latin America.

Community outreach is an essential part of the organisation’s mission to combat plastic pollution. They organise all sorts of education sessions and campaigns to engage communities and encourage better waste management. 

From weekly community cleanups in villages throughout Indonesia to school and government presentations. The physical installation of the trash barriers also serve as a conversation starter to curb plastic pollution at a local level. 

Source: Sungai.watch