A beach cleanup is often about the waste we remove. But what happens to that waste afterwards?
On 6 November 2026, JTB Indonesia, together with local communities, students, and environmental partners, came together at Kelan Beach, Bali, for a day of environmental action and learning.
As part of the JTB Brighter Earth Project 2026, the Bali Circular Action Program – From Beach Cleanup to Circular Journey began with a beach cleanup that collected 262.25 kilograms of waste in just one hour.
But the day didn’t end at the beach. Participants continued to ZeroWaste Center, where they learned about waste management, took part in waste sorting, and explored hands-on recycling activities, from transforming used soap into new bars to natural fabric dyeing and paper recycling.
About the JTB Brighter Earth Project
The JTB Brighter Earth Project is a JTB Group initiative that brings employees, local residents, and communities together through activities focused on environmental conservation, cultural appreciation, and caring for the destinations we share.
From beach cleanups to nature conservation and educational activities, the project encourages people to connect with local communities while making a positive contribution to the places they visit.
For its 2026 programme in Bali, JTB Indonesia partnered with R.O.L.E. Foundation and ZeroWaste Center to create an experience that combined environmental action with practical learning.
Under the theme From Beach Cleanup to Circular Journey, the programme was designed not only to remove waste from the coastline but also to help participants understand what happens to waste after collection and how some materials can be reused or recycled.
Bringing People Together
The programme welcomed participants from different backgrounds, all coming together with a shared interest in protecting Bali’s environment.
Alongside JTB Indonesia staff and members of the Kelan local community, the activities involved university students from INSTIKI, Politeknik Negeri Bali, and STIKOM Bali, as well as vocational school students from SMK Singaraja.
The event was supported by R.O.L.E. Foundation and ZeroWaste Center, whose team provided guidance throughout the cleanup and environmental education activities.
It was an opportunity for employees, students, local residents, and environmental educators to work side by side, exchange experiences, and learn from one another.
Starting the Day with a Beach Cleanup at Kelan Beach
The day began at 7:00 a.m., with participants gathering at Kelan Beach before heading out along the shoreline to collect litter and other discarded materials.
Working in groups, volunteers collected plastic bottles, food packaging, discarded footwear, and various types of waste found along the beach.
After an hour of working together, the results were in: 262.25 kilograms of waste had been collected.
According to the Beach Cleanup Impact Report prepared by R.O.L.E. Foundation, the collected waste included approximately 20.45 kg of hard plastics, 7.45 kg of discarded footwear, 4.10 kg of glass bottles, and 0.15 kg of aluminium cans.
The largest portion, however, was residual waste, accounting for 230.10 kg, or approximately 87.7% of everything collected.
Seeing the amount and variety of waste gathered in just one hour offered participants a closer look at the challenges of keeping Bali’s coastline clean.
With the beach cleanup completed, the group continued to the next part of the programme: discovering how waste is sorted, managed, and potentially given a second life.
Learning About Waste and Recycling at ZeroWaste Center
The next stop was ZeroWaste Center, an environmental education and training facility operated by R.O.L.E. Foundation in Bali.
Here, participants were introduced to the different types of waste we produce in everyday life and why proper separation matters.
Waste Education and Sorting
The session began with an introduction to waste management, including how to identify different materials and understand which types of waste can be recovered or recycled.
Some participants also had the opportunity to help sort waste collected during the beach cleanup, putting what they had learned into practice.
With guidance from the ZeroWaste Center team, they explored how materials such as plastic bottles, glass, aluminium, and other recyclable items are separated from residual waste.
It was a practical way to see that collecting rubbish is only the beginning. What happens next depends on how the waste is sorted and handled.
Following the waste education session, participants moved on to a series of hands-on workshops.
Soap Recycling: Giving Used Hotel Soap a Second Life
One of the activities introduced participants to ZeroWaste Center’s soap recycling programme.
Every day, hotels and villas use large quantities of soap, and partially used bars are often discarded after guests check out.
Through its ZeroWaste Soap programme, R.O.L.E. Foundation collects used soap from participating hotels and villas in Bali. The soap is cleaned, disinfected, and reprocessed into new bars, which are then distributed to communities and people in need.
The programme also provides training and employment opportunities for women from the local Sawangan community who are involved in producing the recycled soap.
During the workshop, participants learned about this process and how something as ordinary as a used bar of soap can still serve a useful purpose.
Natural Dyeing: Exploring Colours from Nature
The next activity offered a more creative experience through natural fabric dyeing.
Participants explored how natural materials can be used to produce colours and patterns on fabric, introducing an alternative to conventional textile dyes.
Through the hands-on activity, they had the chance to experiment with natural dyeing techniques and discover how everyday materials can be used in creative and practical ways.
Paper Recycling: Turning Old Paper into Something New
The final workshop focused on paper recycling.
Participants learned how discarded paper can be collected, processed, and transformed into new paper products rather than being thrown away.
The hands-on session introduced the basic process of recycling paper, showing how used materials can be recovered and put to use again.
Together, the three workshops offered a closer look at the concept of a circular economy, where materials are kept in use for longer instead of being discarded after a single use.
A Day of Learning, Action, and Collaboration
What began as a beach cleanup became an opportunity to understand waste from a different perspective.
At Kelan Beach, participants worked together to remove 262.25 kilograms of waste from the shoreline. At ZeroWaste Center, they learned about the different types of waste, practised sorting materials, and explored how recycling can turn discarded items into useful products.
More importantly, the programme brought together JTB staff, local communities, students, and environmental partners through activities that encouraged both teamwork and environmental awareness.
JTB Indonesia would like to express its sincere appreciation to R.O.L.E. Foundation, ZeroWaste Center, the Kelan local community, INSTIKI, Politeknik Negeri Bali, STIKOM Bali, SMK Singaraja, and everyone who participated in making the programme possible.
The day offered a simple reminder: a cleaner environment begins with action, and understanding what happens to our waste is an important part of making that action count.
