5 MIN READ
06-04-2026
Keeping the Sukosari River Flowing
Dika, 4ocean Jembrana Content Correspondent
The day began with another routine mission for the 4ocean Java Riverboom Team at Sukosari Village. While routine on the surface, the work continues to reveal an ongoing reality: large amounts of plastic waste are still entering the river system from upstream communities.
Before heading to the cleanup site, Team Captain Saiful Kirom gathered the crew to prepare the necessary equipment, including gloves, waders, sacks, and personal protective gear. Once everything was checked and ready, the team traveled to the Sukosari Riverboom net, a location that regularly captures waste carried downstream by the river's current.
Upon arrival, the reason for the cleanup was immediately clear.
The net, installed to intercept floating debris before it can travel farther downstream, had once again become clogged with waste. Plastic bags, food packaging, bottles, and other single-use plastics had accumulated throughout the barrier, preventing it from operating at full capacity.
Without delay, the crew entered the water and began removing the trapped debris piece by piece. Working carefully and methodically, they filled sack after sack with collected waste while restoring the net's ability to capture future pollution.
As the morning progressed, the growing pile of filled sacks provided a visible reminder of the scale of the problem. What had started as scattered debris upstream had become a concentrated collection point at the net, highlighting how much waste continues to move through the river system each day.
Once the cleanup was complete, the team gathered the sacks in a designated area for weighing. The data collected helps document the ongoing impact of river pollution while providing insight into the types and volumes of waste entering local waterways. After weighing, the waste was loaded into a truck and transported back to the 4ocean Java base for further processing.
The team collected a total of 165.70 pounds of waste from the Sukosari Riverboom net, including 110.6 pounds of plastic waste across seven sacks and 55.1 pounds of mixed waste in one sack. The collected debris was primarily made up of single-use plastics and other common river pollutants, highlighting the ongoing challenge of plastic waste entering local waterways from upstream communities.
River pollution remains one of the largest contributors to ocean plastic pollution. Every piece of waste that enters a river has the potential to travel downstream, eventually reaching estuaries, coastlines, and the ocean.
The Riverboom system helps interrupt that journey.
By capturing waste before it can spread farther through the watershed, these nets provide a practical solution for reducing plastic pollution while also highlighting the need for better waste management practices upstream.
The cleanup at Sukosari serves as another reminder that river pollution does not begin at the water's edge. Much of the waste collected by the Riverboom team originates from everyday habits upstream.
Every bag of trash intercepted at the net represents pollution that will no longer continue its journey toward the ocean. Through routine cleanups, community education, and the continued operation of Riverboom systems, the 4ocean Java team is helping protect rivers, coastlines, and marine ecosystems one cleanup at a time.
"We realize that maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment from plastic pollution requires time and cooperation from everyone because the condition of the river is the result of improper waste disposal. We, the 4ocean Java team, will continue carrying out cleanups and taking real action to educate all stakeholders about the importance of protecting waterways and surrounding river environments."
— Saiful Kirom
