5 MIN READ

08-17-2026

The 4ocean Java River Boom Team's Commitment to Cleaner Rivers

Ferdi Wardika & Reza Pahlevi, 4ocean Jembrana Content Correspondent

Four Locations, One Shared Challenge

     The first operations took place on July 14 at the Cangaan and Yosomulyo River Boom sites. Teams led by Saiful Kirom and Ari Surya Prayoga cleared debris trapped within the barriers and along the surrounding riverbeds. Cangaan presented an especially demanding cleanup, with waste buried beneath rocks and mud requiring additional time and physical effort to remove safely.

     The following week, the team returned to Sukosari. Remarkably, the trash barrier had become clogged again just one day after a previous cleanup. The rapid accumulation demonstrated how quickly waste can enter the waterway and reinforced the importance of keeping these interception points operational.

     On July 24, the team headed to Truko River Boom, where Rendy Yoga Pratama led the cleanup. The crew removed five full sacks of plastic waste from the barrier, restoring its capacity to capture debris moving downstream.

     Across all four locations, the teams recovered plastic bottles, packaging, cups, bags, Styrofoam, and other household debris. Cangaan also contained a significant amount of mixed and non-plastic waste, bringing its total recovery to 926 pounds alone.

A Barrier Between Waste and the Ocean

     The work at these sites is about more than collecting sacks of trash. Every piece of debris intercepted by a river boom is one less piece with the potential to travel downstream, reach coastal waters, break apart into smaller particles, or become a hazard for wildlife.

     The scale of the recurring buildup also points to a larger problem. River booms can intercept waste after it enters a waterway, but they cannot prevent that waste from entering the river in the first place. That requires better waste management and responsible disposal practices upstream and within surrounding communities.

     For the River Boom Team, that makes every cleanup both an immediate environmental action and a reminder of the work still needed to address pollution at its source.

Impact Details

Across four River Boom cleanup sites, the 4ocean Java River Boom Team recovered a total of 1,413 pounds of waste across 44 sacks. The collected debris was dominated by plastic waste, alongside mixed and non-plastic materials recovered from the river barriers and surrounding riverbeds.

At Truko River Boom, the team collected 48.5 pounds of plastic waste across five sacks. At Yosomulyo, they recovered 269.4 pounds across 11 sacks, including plastic and mixed waste. Cangaan River Boom produced the largest haul at 926 pounds across 20 sacks, including plastic, mixed, and non-plastic waste buried beneath rocks and mud. At Sukosari, the team collected 169.1 pounds of plastic waste across eight sacks, with the barrier becoming clogged again just one day after a previous cleanup, highlighting how quickly new waste can accumulate.

Across all four locations, the teams recovered a wide range of debris, including plastic bottles, plastic bags, food packaging, plastic cups, Styrofoam, household waste, and other materials carried by the waterways. Together, these cleanups helped restore the function of the River Boom barriers and prevented hundreds of pounds of waste from continuing downstream toward the ocean.

A Message from the Crew

“A clean river not only creates a more beautiful environment but also helps protect ecosystem health and prevents waste from reaching the ocean.”

— Dion Fico Sadnas

Continuing the Work

     That commitment is reflected in the team's routine operations. They continue returning to the same barriers because the problem does not disappear after a single cleanup.

     With the support of partners like Kingspan and the continued work of the 4ocean Java River Boom Team, these barriers can keep serving as an important line of defense against riverborne plastic pollution. But the long-term solution begins before waste ever reaches the water. Reducing single-use plastics, managing household waste responsibly, and keeping trash out of rivers are actions that can help make every cleanup more effective.

     Every barrier cleared is a step toward cleaner waterways. And every piece of waste kept out of the ocean is a step toward healthier ecosystems for the future.

      Learn more about 4ocean's partnership with Kingspan here.

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