Change Makers 01: Sungai Watch
Sungai Watch is a Bali-based environmental organization that protects Indonesian rivers & waterways by creating solutions to stop the flow of plastic pollution from going into our oceans. Their scalable approach to collection, sorting, and upcycling waste has allowed them to set up over 120 barriers across Indonesia, mobilizing Indonesian communities to participate in the protection of our natural environment.
On March 26, 2022, the Topiku team joined Sungai Watch for a river cleanup, outfitting their team of River Warriors with activewear caps – designed to be water-resistant and UV-protective. At Topiku, we believe that being "active" means being active in making a positive difference. Partnering with Sungai Watch was a no-brainer, as our first official collaboration with a non-profit organization.
Topiku is The Official Hat of Change Makers. Stay tuned for more upcoming collaborations as we work together to support more impactful solutions from one village to the next.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, founders Gary, Kelly, and Sam Bencheghib were determined to take risks in order to positively impact their community and to play their part in changing the world. Sungai Watch’s mission is to reduce the amount of plastic waste that pollutes oceans by focusing their efforts on river clean ups to divert waste from ending up in our waterways.
Their methods involve the use of river barriers – crafted from upcycled materials – placed in waterways that immediately stop floating plastic from entering larger bodies of water. According to Sungai Watch: 80% of all plastic that is found in the ocean initially starts in rivers. Tackling this issue at the source is the most effective solution. Within two short years, they have successfully impacted the community with some incredible results.
Plastic waste in the ocean has been a problem for decades now: an estimated 8 million pieces of plastic make its way into the ocean each day.
Recent studies have found that Indonesia is the world’s second largest contributor to the plastic waste crisis, with single use plastics and insufficient waste management services being the main factors for this issue. Furthermore, Indonesia’s coasts are dense population centers that serve as large generators of plastic waste. Their impact spreads beyond the coastline; transported by ocean currents, plastic can even be found on the uninhabited islands around the massive archipelago. Our country is home to beautiful coral reefs and a diverse ocean environment that needs to be sustained and protected. If no action is taken, the issue will continue to spiral out of control, and the natural environment will lose its beauty and the ability to sustain life.
Sungai Watch’s growing team of 55 “River Warriors” continue to make a very visible impact, as they mobilize local communities to join in weekly river cleanups to combat the plastic pollution issue. The organization’s strategy of tackling the plastic problem at the source has proven to be extremely effective and as demonstrated in their annual impact report. We can see that Sungai Watch truly believes that they can make a regional change – their accessible work will continue to inspire communities across the nation in joining the fight against plastic.
Sungai Watch’s impact towards their community has been critical in making an impact on the waste management crisis. Since their inception, they have installed over 120 river barriers, allowing them to collect and to divert more than 300,000 kilograms of plastic in Bali alone. It can also be noted that they have organized more than 120 clean ups; all while documenting and identifying companies labeled as Bali’s top polluters. Identifying these top polluters is just as important as the actual clean up, as it can be seen as a public service announcement for the community: an effort for extended producer responsibility (EPR), holding these businesses accountable for the environmental impact that their products they create.
It is impressive feat: the system that Sungai Watch has chosen to implement within their day-to-day routine starts with a daily examination of unsorted waste, sorting and placing them into separate categories in order for them to be prepared for upcycling. By allocating the waste into specific categories, Sungai Watch is able to transform and upcycle the reclaimed river waste into new products. A passionate work ethic can be clearly seen throughout the project as a whole, and their success as an organization is an inspiring example of altruism, a scalable model for creating positive change in our world.
Works Cited
Sungai Watch. (2020). About us. https://www.sungaiwatch.com/pages/about-us
Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean. (2018, September 24). The Pew Charitable Trusts. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/09/24/plastic-pollution-affects-sea-life-throughout-the-ocean#:%7E:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20up,suffocation%2C%20starvation%2C%20and%20drowning.
Coroneo-Seaman, J. (2021, June 10). Indonesia is facing a plastic waste emergency. Chinadialogue Ocean. https://chinadialogueocean.net/17615-indonesias-plastic-waste-emergency/