Hundreds of volunteers participated today in a large coastal cleanup operation in Bali, a popular tourist destination, as monsoon rains caused one of the “worst” plastic pollution incidents, warned a non-governmental organization.

The environmental NGO “Sungai Watch” described this accumulation of waste as the “worst” plastic pollution ever to affect Bali’s beaches.

“We have never seen such an accumulation of plastic waste, reaching up to one meter in height, on the sand. In just six days, we collected 25 tons, a record for us,” said Gary Bencheghib, the founder of the NGO “Sungai Watch.”

On Kedonganan Beach, in the southern part of the island, plastic cups, straws, cutlery, and empty coffee sachets were scattered across the sand, mixed with plant debris and driftwood.

Approximately 600 volunteers, including local residents, hotel staff, and tourists, braved the rain to collect the waste by hand, filling hundreds of large bags.

Tatiana Komelova, a Russian tourist who participated in the operation, expressed shock at the sight of the garbage and stated that she would like to reduce her plastic use in daily life.

“I knew this problem existed, but I didn’t realize it was this serious,” she noted. “I use a lot of plastic products in my daily life. From now on, I will try to reduce them as much as possible.”

Most of the plastic waste originates from cities in Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, explained Gary Bencheghib.