Non-organic waste is big problem all over the world, but especially so in developing countries, such as Indonesia. Plastic is always the worst offender, both for the sheer amount of waste, and the amount of time it will pollute our planet for. Ingesting plastic kills each year; one million sea birds, over 100,000 marine mammals, as well as countless fish and turtles. Because it takes between 500-1000 years for plastic to degrade, every single piece of plastic every produced still exists in some form or another, with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated.
Every time somebody out there consciously decides to not take that free plastic bag from the supermarket, or uses a refillable water bottle instead of buying disposable bottles, they are helping reduce the impact of plastic pollution.
Here at Siladen Resort & Spa we are always looking at new ways at ‘saying no to plastic’ so Bunaken National Marine Park will continue to be a magical place for many generations to come. We have installed 20 litre water dispensers in each of ours guest rooms, as well as having many in various locations around the resort, so our guests and staff never need to worry about not being sufficiently hydrated. These 20 litre bottles are sent away, cleaned and refilled after each use, so we never have to throw anything away. The bar team are helping to support our effort by no longer giving straws with drinks unless specifically asked for one, and we are now using larger bottles of products such as shampoo and soap, so we can reduce waste from our housekeeping department. We have also changed to a more environmentally friendly product so what goes down the drain has less impact on our local environment.
It is not just plastic waste that we are concerned about either. Although glass is significantly less h
armful to our planet than plastic, but it is still a product that we try to recycle and reuse as much as possible. One recent project of ours was to reuse old wine bottles as light covers in various parts of the resort. This result has been great! Not only have we managed to reduce the amount of glass that we need to dispose of, the coloured glass of the bottle also helps soften the light glow, and produce a more romantic ambiance.
Plastic is an easy material to recycle, which means that less needs to be produced to meet demands. The problem is that quality-recycling plants are only readily available in more developed countries. We kindly ask our guests to help support our efforts by taking home some of their plastic waste home with them, where it can be recycled properly. We are always looking for ways to improve and we are very open to suggestions. If you have any ideas it would be great if you could send them to us at [email protected] .
