All images © Sungai Watch and Sungai Design, shared with permission
Despite the idyllic photos that populate Instagram feeds and travel blogs, Bali has a plastic problem. The island produces 1.6 million tons of waste each year, and thanks to ocean currents, it also receives tidal waves of pollution from neighboring islands that bury its beaches in mounds of trash, debris, and even rotting animal carcasses during monsoon season. To mitigate the problem, two sister organizations have teamed up to clean Bali’s waterways and transform the uncovered waste into useful goods.
Sungai Watch leads the first part of the process by identifying problem rivers and installing wide barriers to trap pollution. Since launching in 2020, the nonprofit has pulled 1,718,562 kilograms, nearly 1,900 tons, of plastic from the waterways.
Once cleaned and sorted, the waste is handed off to Sungai Design, which shreds and presses the material into large panels. CNC machines cut parametric components that are fashioned into a line of modern chairs, while offcuts are recycled into other products. Available in two shapes and three colors, the speckled designs both feature wide, sloping seats and angular legs. Each recycles an estimated 30 kilograms of plastic.
To dive into the trash collection process, head to YouTube, and shop available products from Sungai Design.
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