Bali bans small plastic bottles to tackle waste crisis and microplastics: ‘urgent matter’

Bali’s governor has banned small plastic bottles to combat waste, sparking debate on environmental impact versus industry concerns

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A street vendor sells drinks in plastic at a beach in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali Provincial Government has banned the production and distribution of bottled drinking water in plastic packaging under one litre to tackle the plastic waste crisis. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:00am, 23 May 2025Updated: 3:39pm, 23 May 2025

A sweeping new ban on small plastic water bottles in Bali has triggered backlash from Indonesia’s beverage and plastics industries, even as environmental advocates hail it as a bold step towards tackling the island’s growing waste crisis and microplastic contamination.

Governor I Wayan Koster, who launched the Bali Clean Waste Movement last month, has framed the initiative as part of a broader campaign to make the island of 4.3 million people waste-free by 2027. The policy builds on a 2018 gubernatorial decree that banned plastic bags in supermarkets and restaurants – a move since adopted by cities like Jakarta.

The new regulation, the first of its kind in Indonesia, which took effect in April, prohibits the production, distribution and sale of single-use plastic water bottles smaller than one litre. It also mandates waste segregation at the source across government offices, private businesses, markets, schools and places of worship.

Speaking to reporters on April 6, Koster said that beverage producers should use glass bottles instead of plastic for their products.

Bali Governor I Wayan Koster launched the Bali Clean Waste Movement last month. Photo: Handout

He warned that villages failing to comply risk losing financial help and incentives, while errant businesses could face permit revocations and be publicly labelled “not environmentally friendly” on the provincial government’s social media channels.