Indonesia’s Maluku Islands Ready to Become a Plastic-Free Tourism Destination

KOMPAS.com – The Maluku islands are one of the lesser-known tourist destinations in Indonesia and it is making an effort to establish a plastic-free zone.

Ngurbloat Beach in Central Maluku is located at the gorgeous Kei islands and locals there have made it clear that the tourism they’re on board with is the plastic-free kind.

Head of Central Maluku Tourism Promotion Agency Andi Abdul Rahman Aziz said the regent has called for the fight against plastic waste in the region and other tourist destinations in Indonesia.

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Residents and the local government of Central Maluku are devising a tourism plan that will create a plastic-free zone in some tourist sites such as Ngurbloat Beach.

“Travelers are forbidden from bringing any plastic. There will be no plastic waste and no food can be brought in. The tourism recreation there will be entirely plastic-free.”

This is not the first time the Central Maluku government has taken action to reduce plastic use and plastic waste.

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Andi explained that in 2019, the region’s Regent Thaher Hanubun together with its Environment Agency initiated a movement to reduce plastic waste.

As part of their program, the government distributed 3,000 tumblers among civil servants and elementary school students, which Andi stated demonstrated their public commitment to stop plastic waste.

The program dubbed “Tumblers At School” aimed to educate and socialize plastic waste management.

(Writer: Nabilla Ramadhian | Editor: Kahfi Dirga Cahya)

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/09/24/121500527/pantai-ngurbloat-di-kepulauan-kei-tempat-wisata-tanpa-plastik