Building the Uluwatu Coast Cleanup Responsibly

The Uluwatu Coast Cleanup is one of BeeCharity’s first environmental projects. It is easy to picture: a stretch of coastline, a group of volunteers, and a visible difference at the end of the day. But a cleanup that genuinely helps — rather than one that just produces good photographs — takes careful planning. This article explains how we are approaching it and, just as importantly, what remains in assessment.

Why Uluwatu, and why coastlines

Coastlines are where a lot of marine plastic becomes visible and recoverable. Waste that washes up can still be collected before it breaks down into microplastics or returns to the sea. A well-run coastal cleanup removes tangible material from the environment, and it also creates a moment where a community can take part in something concrete.

We have chosen a specific location rather than a general region because specificity is what makes the work accountable. A named beach has known access points, known local authorities and a measurable amount of waste.

A cleanup is only as good as its disposal plan

The most common mistake in amateur cleanups is to gather waste into piles and leave, or to send everything to a landfill that cannot handle it. Collected plastic and mixed waste has to go somewhere, and that somewhere has to be responsible. Part of our planning is confirming how collected material will be sorted, transported and processed, and by whom.

We will not run the cleanup until we have a confirmed, responsible route for the waste we collect. Removing rubbish from a beach only to mishandle it elsewhere is not success.

Local permission and local partners come first

BeeCharity is a Swiss association. We do not have the standing to arrive in another country and organise activity on a coastline without local cooperation. That is not just good manners — in many places it is a legal requirement. Our delivery model therefore begins with confirming a local delivery partner who understands the site, the community and the rules, and who will co-lead the work on the ground.

At the time of writing, partner assessment is in progress. We are being deliberate about it, because the partner relationship determines whether the project is safe, legal and genuinely useful.

From plan to published result

Once a partner and permissions are confirmed, the project runs through a baseline assessment of the site, the cleanup activity itself, the responsible transfer of collected waste, and finally a published report. That report will include what was spent against the CHF 10,000 target, how much waste was collected, how many people took part, and what we learned for next time.

We publish the disappointing parts too. If a cleanup collects less than hoped, or a cost runs higher than estimated, that belongs in the report. An honest record is more useful to future projects — and to our supporters — than a tidy one.

How to support this project

You can support the Uluwatu Coast Cleanup by donating toward its funding target, by volunteering if you are able to take part, or simply by following its progress. Every stage will be documented here so that anyone who contributes can see precisely what their support helped make happen.