Waste problems bring hotels, NGOs together<\/p>\n
By I Wayan Juniarta<\/p>\n
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Hotels and non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs) are cooperating to save the environment of the paradise
\nisland of Bali.<\/p>\n
The rapid development of tourism in Bali has caused serious
\nenvironmental problems to the once beautiful and serene island.<\/p>\n
The operation of hotels, restaurants and other tourist
\nfacilities draws huge foreign exchange and provide job
\nopportunities to the locals, yet it also creates troubles.<\/p>\n
Mountainous piles of plastic, paper and other solid and liquid
\nwaste dumped by hotels and restaurants must be managed properly.<\/p>\n
Some hotels have set up a cooperation with an environmental
\nfoundation, the Wisnu Foundation, and a waste-treatment company,
\nthe UD Jimbaran Lestari, to deal with the waste problems using
\ncheap and environmentally friendly methods.<\/p>\n
\"Our concept emphasizes waste as a resource instead of waste
\nas waste,\" said Suarnatha, a staff member of the Wisnu
\nFoundation.<\/p>\n
Currently, the foundation is jointly working with UD Jimbaran
\nLestari and several hotels in Bali, including the Bali Inter-
\nContinental, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton Nusa Indah,
\nSheraton Laguna, Bali-Hyatt, Holiday Inn Resort Bali Hai, Oberoi,
\nHard Rock Beach Club, Hilton and Sanur Beach Hotel.<\/p>\n
The foundation is also active in training and hosting
\nworkshops for small-scale waste-treatment companies and staff of
\nhotels and restaurants who want to learn about this method.<\/p>\n
\"The foundation has provided us with knowledge and the latest
\ninformation on effective waste-treatment management,\" said Ni
\nMade Seni, director of UD Jimbaran Lestari.<\/p>\n
Every day, UD Jimbaran Lestari employs six trucks to transport
\nwaste and garbage from the hotels to the company's 8,000 square-
\nmeter dumping site in Jimbaran.<\/p>\n
At the site, 44 employees sort the dry waste from the wet.
\nThey also put aside items such as cardboard boxes, aluminum cans,
\nplastics and others, which can be recycled.<\/p>\n
They later deliver the items to be recycled to several
\ncompanies in Jakarta and Surabaya (East Java).<\/p>\n
\"We often find reusable goods and return them to the hotels,\"
\nexplained Seni.<\/p>\n
Wet waste is delivered to several farms, while dry leaves and
\ntwigs are composted. The company is able to produce three tons of
\ncompost a month, which is returned to the hotels to fertilize
\ntheir gardens of various plants and flowers.<\/p>\n
The method can reduce the amount of waste to 40 percent of the
\nprevious amount. About 60 percent of the processed waste can
\nstill be used by hotels or other industries.<\/p>\n
\"We can recycle 53 percent of the wet waste, while we can
\nprocess 68 percent of the dry waste,\" explained Yoga Atmaja, a
\nstaff member of the Wisnu Foundation.<\/p>\n
The hotels have worked hard to arouse their staff's
\nenvironmental consciousness and to launch more environmentally
\nfriendly hotel-operating systems.<\/p>\n
Tya Singgih, the communications manager of Bali Inter-
\nContinental, said the hotel was committed to improving its waste
\nmanagement system and other energy saving efforts.<\/p>\n
The 425-room Bali Inter-Continental is one of the first hotels
\nwhich set up a joint agreement with the Wisnu Foundation.<\/p>\n
\"In purchasing food and beverages, we also decided to use less
\nplastic bags to prevent a lot of waste,\" said Tya.<\/p>\n
To clean the beach at the back of the hotel, two cows, Dayang
\nI and Dayang II, are ready to replace the tractor.<\/p>\n
\"We use the cows to prevent oil spills from polluting the
\nbeach area,\" she explained.<\/p>\n
In cooperation with the Wisnu Foundation and local
\ncommunities, the Bali Inter-Continental is also involved in the
\npreservation of green turtles, a regreening program and
\nenvironmental education for 1000 school students at 13 elementary
\nschools in the Jimbaran area.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are 1,022 hotels in Bali producing at least
\n168.7 cubic meters of solid and liquid waste every day.<\/p>\n
It seems Bali needs more foundations, hotel management and
\nindividuals to set up a joint cooperation to deal with waste and
\nenvironmental problems.<\/p>\n
The environmentally friendly waste treatment package costs
\nonly Rp 1000 (15 U.S. cents) per hotel room. It may not be so
\nexpensive if we think about protecting the environment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/waste-problems-bring-hotels-ngos-together-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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