5 MIN READ
08-07-2025
One Team, One Beach, One Mission
Dika, 4ocean Indonesia Content Correspondent
The shoreline of Muncar Beach came alive with determination as the 4ocean Java crew rolled up their sleeves for another cleanup mission. This time, two full teams—Beach Team 1 and Beach Team 2—joined forces, with a total of 14 dedicated members setting out to tackle the growing plastic waste problem.
Before departing, the crew held a short briefing to map out the cleanup flow and assign tasks. Armed with rakes, sacks, ropes, gloves, masks, and boots, the team left their base with high spirits and a shared sense of purpose.
When they arrived at Muncar Beach, the reality of the challenge became clear. Plastic bottles, food wrappers, styrofoam fragments, and other debris covered the sand, some tangled in natural debris and fish scales. The crew immediately spread out along the shoreline. Using rakes to reach debris buried deep in the sand, they filled sack after sack, tying each one off with rope once full.
After several hours of intense work, the waste was hauled to a central weighing station for documentation, and the results spoke for themselves: a total of 50 sacks were filled, containing 636.5 pounds of plastic waste and 286.6 pounds of mixed waste—amounting to 923.1 pounds of trash removed in just a single day. This volume highlighted not only the persistence of the problem, but also the effectiveness of teamwork in tackling it head-on.
The cleanup was not without difficulties. Much of the plastic was buried under piles of fish scales, requiring extra time and care to separate. Other debris, such as fishing nets and ropes, was heavily entangled, making collection slow and labor-intensive. The weight of mixed waste also created challenges for transport—forcing the team to rely on motorcycles to move sacks to the weighing site.
Still, the crew pressed forward, motivated by their shared commitment to protect both the coastline and the lives connected to it.
As Abi Amanda Putra reflected, “Protecting beaches from plastic waste pollution is one of the missions of the 4ocean team. The vast amount of plastic waste in the ocean and along coastlines poses a real threat to both marine and terrestrial life. We, the 4ocean Java team, will continue to work with great enthusiasm to protect all forms of life from the ongoing pollution caused by plastic waste.”
For the crew, this was about more than just cleaning up a beach—it was about taking real action to protect livelihoods, ecosystems, and the future of the ocean itself.
Plastic waste is more than just an eyesore. It seeps into marine ecosystems, harms wildlife, and disrupts the communities who depend on the ocean—especially local fishermen and coastal families in Banyuwangi. With plastic taking centuries to decompose, the urgency to act is greater than ever.
At Muncar Beach, the 4ocean Java team demonstrated that every cleanup, no matter how difficult, is a step toward change. By working together and showing the community what real action looks like, they hope to inspire others to reduce single-use plastics and join in protecting the natural beauty of Indonesia’s coasts.
The mission continues. And with every sack collected, the hope for cleaner beaches and a healthier ocean grows stronger.
