Motivated Youth Pulls Out 2.6 Million Pounds Trash From Indonesian Rivers

There is a plastic pollution problem in Indonesia that has affected our earth.  An average of 2,000 kilograms of plastic waste can leak into the ocean just from one village and proper plastic waste is lacking in coastal communities in the country. It is the number 2 contributor to the ocean plastic crisis. It is also leading the government to vow 1 billion dollars to cut 70% of its marine plastic waste by 2025.

 Sam Benchegji and his two siblings knew they needed to do something and not let their earth get destroyed.  So Sam decided to start Sungai Watch. Sungai Watch is an environmental organization dedicated to keeping Indonesia’s waterways clean by installing river barriers to prevent plastic and other trash from entering the ocean. 

During their Journey with Sunagi Watch, they experienced many setbacks throughout almost 3 years of building. From the technology and equipment they used in their barriers and staff shortages, they are still learning new things every day and are improving their process.

Because of Sungai Watch and everything they have done, they have ended up cleaning several rivers and being able to take out 2.6 million pounds of trash. They were also able to clean up their most polluted rivers and revive mangrove ecosystems that have been damaged because of plastic pollution. They have installed 80 trash barriers throughout the rivers and have grown from a team of 3 siblings to 100 full-time staff members to help clean out the rivers. They have helped so much with plastic pollution and will continue to keep moving forward.