Enviro News Asia, Denpasar – The Provincial Government of Bali has prohibited the distribution of single-use plastic packaged beverages within the province. Furthermore, business entities are also banned from producing single-use plastic bottled water with a volume of less than 1 liter.
This ban is stated in Circular Letter (SE) Number 9 of 2025 concerning the “Clean Bali Waste Movement,” signed by Bali Governor Wayan Koster.
“I will gather all producers — including the regional water utility (PDAM) and private companies in Bali — and instruct them to stop producing bottled beverages under 1 liter,” said Governor Koster during a press conference at the Bali Governor’s Official Residence, Jayasabha, in Denpasar on Sunday afternoon (April 6). Governor Koster is confident that this policy will not disrupt the business climate in Bali, including for small-scale bottled water producers in various districts and cities across the island.
The governor believes that the business sector can align with efforts to protect Bali’s natural environment. “This is about protecting the environment — go ahead and produce, but don’t harm nature,” said Wayan Koster, emphasizing that all institutions — government, private, hotels and restaurants, places of worship, and schools — must implement source-based waste management.
Villages, both administrative and traditional, are required to fully manage their waste independently, following the slogan: ‘My Village is Clean Without Polluting Other Villages’. “Village heads must issue Village Regulations, and Traditional Village Leaders (Bendesa Adat) must issue Pararem (customary rules) that regulate source-based waste management and limit the use of single-use plastics,” Koster added.
Governor Koster also stressed that sanctions will be imposed on parties who fail to comply with the circular. Villages and/or traditional villages that do not implement source-based waste management and limit single-use plastic will face penalties such as delayed financial assistance, postponed disbursement of incentives for village heads and officials, delayed financial support to traditional villages, and exclusion from receiving or participating in special assistance or programs.
“Now in my second term, there are no more obstacles — I must seize the momentum with faster action, strict measures, and firmness towards anyone. Even if some people get angry on social media, that’s fine,” he said.
Meanwhile, businesses (hotels, shopping centers, restaurants, and cafes) that fail to implement source-based waste management and restrict single-use plastics will face firm sanctions, including a review and/or revocation of business permits, and public announcements across various social media platforms labeling them as environmentally unfriendly and unworthy of visitation.
Bali Vice Governor I Nyoman Giri Prasta added that although plastic bottled water is recyclable, the Bali Provincial Government hopes this policy will shift public habits toward using reusable tumblers in daily activities.
