Bali declares 'rubbish emergency' as plastic waste buries beaches

A 'rubbish emergency' has been declared on a beach in Bali - after it was inundated with a rising tide of plastic waste.

The Indonesian island is a holiday hotspot and tourists have been drawn to its beautiful beaches for years.

See also: Surfers blast bystanders in Christmas Day drowning

See also: Tsunami survivor builds amazing turtle sanctuary

But a 3.6-mile stretch of beach on the island's west coast has now been declared an emergency zone after officials realised the high volume of plastic was affecting the tourist trade.

Around the 700 workers have been sent to Jimbaran, Kuta and Seminyak beaches, and have been removing up to 100 tons of rubbish each day.

Plastic pollution is increasingly a big problem for the country. It clogs waterways in cities, increases the risk of floods, and injures or kills marine animals who eat it or become trapped by plastic packaging.

One hotel worker told the Telegraph: "It is awful. People just don't care, it's everywhere, it's everywhere.

"The government does something but it is really just a token thing."

He said the indifference of many islanders to the issue is a big factor, and that municipal refuse collection was inadequate.

However, the authorities plan to ban plastic bags in 2018, and commit to raising awareness of the problem.

Indonesia is the second biggest maritime plastic polluter, with much of what washes up on beaches coming from the Java Sea.

According to the Daily Mail, Indonesia is one of nearly 40 countries that are part of UN Environment's Clean Seas campaign, which aims to stop plastic trash polluting the oceans.

The government has pledged to reduce marine plastic waste by 70 per cent by 2025. But the scale of the problem is huge considering Indonesia has a population of 250 million.