Volunteers Clean Up Bali's Beach from 'Worst' Monsoon-driven Trash

Plastic waste and other garbage is cleared from a beach in Kedonganan Badung regency on Indonesia's Bali island. SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP
Plastic waste and other garbage is cleared from a beach in Kedonganan Badung regency on Indonesia's Bali island. SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP
TT
20

Volunteers Clean Up Bali's Beach from 'Worst' Monsoon-driven Trash

Plastic waste and other garbage is cleared from a beach in Kedonganan Badung regency on Indonesia's Bali island. SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP
Plastic waste and other garbage is cleared from a beach in Kedonganan Badung regency on Indonesia's Bali island. SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP

Hundreds of volunteers joined a cleanup in Bali, Indonesia, Saturday as monsoon rains brought what an activist described as "the worst" waves of plastic waste to hit its tourist-favored beaches.
The Southeast Asian nation is one of the world's biggest contributors of plastic pollution and marine debris, with annual monsoon rains and winds sweeping mountains of plastic waste from its cities and rivers into the ocean.
Some of it drifts hundreds of kilometers before washing up on the beaches on the holiday island -- especially between November and March, AFP said.
Across Kedonganan beach in the south of the island, plastic cups, straws, cutlery, and empty coffee sachets were scattered across the sand, mixed with plant and wood debris.
Tons of garbage
Around 600 volunteers, including local residents, hospitality workers, and tourists, braved a rainy morning to pick up the waste by hand before filling hundreds of large sacks.
The Environmental NGO Sungai Watch called it "the worst" plastic waste pollution to wash ashore in Bali.
"We have never seen plastics a meter thick in the sand. In just six days of cleanup, we collected 25 tons, which is a record for us," said Sungai Watch founder Gary Bencheghib.
Bencheghib said an audit found most of the plastic waste came from cities on neighboring Java, Indonesia's most-populated island.

Tatiana Komelova, a Russian tourist volunteer, said the sight of the pollution shocked her, and motivated her to reduce the use of plastic in her daily life.

"I knew the problem existed, but I didn't know it was this bad," she said.

"I use plastic products a lot in my life, and now I try to reduce it as much as possible."



Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
TT
20

Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)

Discover the hidden gem of the UK's coffee culture, where vibrant independent cafes outshine the chains, offering a unique blend of flavors and atmospheres.

“Fancy a brew?” “I'll put the kettle on then.” Hearing those words are no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK, The Daily Express newspaper reported on Monday.

It said grabbing a coffee either on the go or at a café is as part of British culture these days as it is in Italy.

But while every person has its favorite chain, be it Pret, Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, nothing beats finding a decent independent coffee shop one can call home especially when it can seem high streets are dominated by the same chains.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find an independent coffee shop?

A study by Reviva Coffee reveals the UK city that is the hidden gem when it comes to thriving coffee culture.

And it probably isn't where you'd expect. In fact this county is synonymous with tea. Yorkshire Tea, to be precise.

However the study discovered the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is in the Yorkshire city of Leeds. It has a staggering 584 coffee shops, of which 86.3% are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene with 560 shops, 85% of which are independents.

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol which has 347 coffee shops, 86.3% of which are independent.