Sungai Watch

Over 165,000 kg of trash removed from the rivers of Giri, Banyuwangi since we started operating here in April 2024 🌊 Thanks to everyone who’s supported this mission. We’re not done yet 💪

500 kg of waste removed in 2 hours from Padang Linjong’s clogged river 💪 DM us if you see one!

Cleaning up Ubud’s rivers in Central Bali, one river at a time 💪💧

Heavy rains hit Tabanan, Bali causing floods and flushing tons of waste into the rivers. Our team jumped in and collected 383 kg of non-organic waste in just a few hours. Share this to raise awareness. River pollution gets worse every rainy season. 🙌

Styrofoam is dangerous in rivers, but tiny styrofoam balls are even worse ⚠️ At Sungai Watch, we install trash barriers to stop plastic from going into the ocean. But these tiny pieces are so small and lightweight, they often slip through barriers and are nearly impossible to clean up. They don’t break down, animals mistake them for food, and they’re filled with toxic chemicals. We need to stop using Styrofoam whenever we can. Let’s protect our rivers before it’s too late 🌊

Fast-forward through a full day of impact

This is one of our biggest river catches in Bali

In 2025, we’ve installed 185 trash barriers and collected 745 tons of plastic waste from rivers across Bali and East Java, Indonesia. Every single day, our team is out there—cleaning up and sorting to stop plastic pollution at the source. We’re excited to keep pushing our mission forward through powerful storytelling, showing what it takes to stop plastic before it reaches the ocean 🌊 Shot with @insta360

Our first mangrove cleanup in East Java. Mangroves are crucial to protecting coastlines, but plastic pollution threatens their survival. We're now working to protect more mangrove ecosystems across East Java and Bali. Join us on the ground and be part of the solution 🌊

Timelapse of our teams removing tons of waste from polluted rivers

Just hard work, one cleanup at a time

"I have been working for Sungai Watch for 5 years, even before Sungai Watch existed. In 2020 I just worked with Gary (our founder), and I decided to keep doing this, because this work made me happy. I have been working here for so long but I have never been bored, maybe because it is more physical work and I can clear my mind while I work. I have a job that has an impact on my surroundings, and economically helps me and my family as well. I get paid quite well, higher than most restaurant workers here in Bali. In the beginning I didn’t understand the waste problem at all, I learned over time from Gary and the team. In the beginning it was disgusting, but over time you get used to it. You cannot work here if you are easily grossed out. When I was young rivers were clean. We bathed in the rivers, and we could even drink the water from the rivers. Now we wouldn’t dare, the water even irritates your skin. I want my environment to be clean. And I hope when people see me clean up rivers, they will want to join me, so that more people can realize how important it is to take care of our environment. But I don’t work so that people can see me, I work at Sungai Watch for myself and for Bali. It hurts to see others litter into the river. Seeing those who don't care is just painful, but sometimes there are kids who help us clean up, that keeps me going. If I could speak to the governor I would say ”I hope the government and the villages could give more education to the people to be more mindful of their non-organic waste.” I know we can’t stop using plastic right away, but over time it should be possible. Sungai Watch is very important to me. If there was no Sungai Watch, all that waste that we collected over the years would have jammed our rivers. I've become one with this job now. It's now a part of who I am and I hope that Sungai Watch can be present all over Indonesia." There are many more people like Pak Made who work behind this mission. Whose story should we share next?

Thank you to everyone who came to our Soft Launch yesterday

Share this video to help us scale faster and reach more polluted rivers