Hurricanes Here, Monsoons There, and Plastic Absolutely Everywhere
Every year, beaches in Bali and Java are flooded with plastic during monsoon season—here’s how our crews prepare!
Hello everybody! I’m Tony, the Director of Cleanups here at 4ocean.
I know Alex was talking to you earlier this week about the impact that storms like Hurricane Ian have on the Osborne Reef.
The truth is that hurricane season is a fact of life for our Florida crews, just like the rainy season is for our crews in Bali and Java.
So follow me 10,000 miles around the world to the Indonesian archipelago and let me show you how our crews are making a difference for the ocean every single day!
From September to February, strong offshore winds, torrential downpours, and powerful ocean currents flood Indonesia’s world-famous beaches with absolutely massive amounts of plastic.
Rivers across the islands swell with water and act like superhighways that carry inland debris to the ocean.
Single-use plastics. Commercial fishing gear. It’s all there.
And we always discover something unexpected.
But no matter what surprises the rainy season brings, our crews are always prepared and ready to make an impact.
Our river boom systems are serviced daily to clear away debris and prevent flooding.
Booms are also inspected to ensure the equipment’s intact and properly secured so trash flowing downriver is captured before it can enter the ocean.
When we encounter unusually large debris accumulations, additional crew members are brought in to help collect, sort, and process it all.
And when the need arises, our sorting crews don’t hesitate to get out in the field with our cleanup crews to help recover debris!
During the rainy season, our crews in Bali and Java recover one and a half times more plastic than they do in the dry season.
Overall, materials collected during the rainy season account for 60% of the total trash our Indonesian crews recover each year.
With all that extra debris in the water, encounters with entangled animals become much more likely during the rainy season.
Our crews only intervene with permission from the appropriate authorities when it’s not a threat to their safety or wellbeing.
Some of these incredible rescues were caught on camera and you can watch them all here!
Every single day, our crews go above and beyond to clean the ocean and protect and restore their local environment.
There are a few members of the Bali crew who have been with 4ocean since the very beginning:
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Andi
Director of Operations
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Mohamed
Operations Manager
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Bismo
Mewdewi Captain
4ocean has recovered over 25 million pounds of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines since 2017 and nearly 15 million of them can be attributed to the dedication and tireless efforts of Andi, Mo, and crew members like Bismo.
And that’s what you make possible every time you shop 4ocean.
In addition to funding our cleanups, this collection supports Bali’s vibrant artisanal culture and provides women in rural communities with a reliable source of income that leads to new opportunities for education, equality, prosperity, and growth.
Remember: Success is never owned; it’s rented and rent is due every day.
Let’s get to work!
Tony
Bali Wave Bracelet
By purchasing this bracelet, you will pull one pound of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines.