When Destination Zero Waste Bali (DZWB) launched in May 2025, our mission was clear: cut single-use plastic (SUP) waste in Bali’s hotels without compromising the guest experience. Led by Rennie Roos and Mutia Khairunnisa, and partnering with Nirjhara, Raffles Bali, Segara Village, TUI BLUE Berawa, and Tony’s Villa & Resort, we’ve moved from planning to real-world testing with promising early results.
The work began in April 2025 with hotel onboarding and GTPI self-audits— an internal assessment tool from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative that helps hotels identify where and how single-use plastics are used, and pinpoint the most critical waste hotspots. In May, we held workshops, problem analysis sessions, and the official project kick-off. By June, concepts were developed, aligned with hotel brands, and prepared for testing.
Phase 1 (June 30 – July 20, 2025) trialed solutions with hotel staff to ensure operational readiness. Phase 2 (July 21 – August 8, 2025) is now testing guest reactions. Final analysis and scaling plans will follow in mid-August.
From Ideas to Action
We explored multiple concepts from reusable laundry bags to zero-waste staff cafeterias but selected two with the highest impact potential:
- Mini Bar Snacks in Reusable Packaging – Targeting the 1,192+ SUP snack wrappers generated monthly across four hotels by replacing them with locally made, hotel-branded jars.
- Bathroom Amenities Reduction – Removing SUP bottles and sachets from rooms, informing guests beforehand, and offering F&B vouchers as an incentive.
Both experiments are assessed on waste reduction, support for sustainability managers, guest visibility, scalability, and community engagement.
The goal? 100% SUP elimination in targeted areas, under 5% negative guest feedback, and minimal operational disruption.
Reusable jars kept snacks like nuts and cookies fresh for over two weeks, while chips needed preservation tweaks. Hotels praised the premium look but requested size adjustments. Amenities removal trials have been well-received as one hotel noted, “Guests saw it as a thoughtful gesture, not a cutback.”
Operationally, some hotels can handle refills in-house, while others may outsource— pening opportunities for local service providers. Feedback channels QR codes, WhatsApp, in-room forms are keeping us on track to meet satisfaction targets.
Visibility and Next Steps
DZWB has already been featured by NOS Netherlands and Kompas, with over 10,500 social media impressions and active guest engagement through QR scans.
Phase 2 runs until early August, after which we’ll share final results and a roadmap for scaling. Some partners are already looking to adopt these solutions permanently. A strong sign that zero-waste hospitality in Bali is within reach.
In Balinese, matur suksma means thank you, and today we say it to our partners, suppliers, and communities for making this shift possible. Every refill and every avoided plastic bottle brings us closer to a waste-free future for Bali’s hospitality industry.
