Only 48 percent of Bali's trash is managed responsibly through recycling or landfill, while thousands of tonnes are burned or dumped in rivers and the ocean, according to a five-month study by The Bali Partnership that was announced on June 20.

Garbage sorting centre in Bali (Source: AFP)

Like many parts of Asia, Indonesia, comprising of more than 17,000 islands, has a fast-growing economy and population, and a huge coastline with many densely populated cities.

In Bali, which attracts about 6.5 million international tourists annually, trash regularly washes up on its once-pristine beaches.

According to a survey on the island's rivers, landfill sites and 950 local households, Bali generates about 1.6 million tonnes of waste each year.

About 303,000 tonnes of waste are plastic, of which 33,000 tonnes leak into Bali's waterways.

The Bali Partnership hopes that Jakarta will use the findings to improve waste management and tackle the problem of plastic waste in oceans.

Two years ago, the government launched a national action plan pledging up to 1 billion USD to cut ocean waste by 70 percent by 2025.

(Source: VNA)