Wastehub cleanup removes 912 kilograms of waste at Komodo and Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo — An Oceanic Society-backed cleanup led by Ranitya Nurlita and Waste Solution Hub removed just over 900 kilograms of waste from coastal and underwater sites around Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park during the 2023 Global Ocean Cleanup on June 16–17, 2023, according to the organization and the Indonesian group Wastehub.

Oceanic Society describes the East Nusa Tenggara cleanup as part of its 2023 Global Ocean Cleanup, a campaign run in partnership with Sea Turtle Week to address pollution at ecologically important coastal and marine habitats worldwide. In its campaign report, the organization lists a Wastehub-led effort in Komodo National Park and Labuan Bajo City among eight featured cleanups it sponsored in 2023.

According to Oceanic Society, the East Nusa Tenggara operation mobilized 116 volunteers, including 14 scuba divers, and collected 2,012 pounds (about 912 kilograms) of waste from marine and coastal environments. Wastehub’s founder Ranitya Nurlita separately reported that "The 2023 Global Ocean Cleanup" activity on June 16–17 gathered and managed 912.39 kilograms of waste in Labuan Bajo and surrounding waters.

Combined underwater and beach cleanups

Oceanic Society states that Nurlita and Wastehub led an underwater cleanup in the world-renowned Komodo National Park and a land-based cleanup in Labuan Bajo City, both located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. The organization notes that these areas are affected by unmanaged municipal solid waste and high levels of water pollution, and that the cleanups aimed to help mitigate those pressures and protect local marine ecosystems.

Wastehub’s own account focuses on two cleanups under the Global Ocean Cleanup banner. On June 16, 2023, the foundation organized an underwater cleanup at Waececu Beach in Labuan Bajo, working with 14 professional divers from the Komodo Professional Divers Association (P3Kom), the Indonesian Navy, the national search and rescue agency Basarnas and the water police unit Polair. The group reported collecting 54 sacks of waste weighing 497.93 kilograms during that first day.

On June 17, 2023, Wastehub coordinated a beach cleanup at Binongko Beach in Labuan Bajo under the slogan “Labuan Bajo, Bukan Labuan Sampah” (“Labuan Bajo, Not a Waste Port”). The foundation worked with Komodo Water, WWF, Trash Hero Komodo, Trash Hero Mburak, Bintari Foundation, Kole Project, Nomad Plastic and Rumah Pekerti, and reported gathering 58 sacks of waste weighing 414.45 kilograms.

Of that total, 310.15 kilograms were residual waste destined for final disposal, while 104.3 kilograms of recyclable materials such as plastic bottles were handled by local recycling initiatives including KSU Komodo and Kole Project.

Local circular-economy approach

Oceanic Society describes Wastehub as an innovative organization focused on circular-economy and green initiatives in urban and tourism areas, working through an integrated systems approach. Wastehub similarly presents itself as a foundation dedicated to circular-economy and green initiatives in urban and tourism settings, involving multiple partners in beach and underwater cleanups in Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park.

In Labuan Bajo, Wastehub’s reporting indicates that residual waste collected during the June 16–17 activities was transported by the Manggarai Barat environmental agency to the local landfill, while recyclable materials were diverted to community-based recycling ventures. This division between residual and recyclable waste forms part of the group’s circular-economy narrative, even though the available public reports do not provide detailed data on subsequent processing or the proportion of material ultimately recycled.

Oceanic Society says that each of the eight sponsored partners in the 2023 Global Ocean Cleanup received US$2,000 from campaign sponsors to conduct a cleanup at an ecologically important or polluted coastal or ocean habitat during the June 16–17 window. Across all locations, the organization reports that more than 3,100 volunteers joined forces to remove 88,004 pounds (39,911 kilograms, or 44 tons) of trash from marine and coastal environments worldwide.

Within that global framework, the Labuan Bajo and Komodo activities offer a documented example of shared responsibility: a local foundation leading implementation, professional and community volunteers providing labor, and an international conservation organization supplying funding and global campaign visibility. While the published figures quantify the volume of waste removed, the long-term environmental impact of the June 2023 cleanups depends on follow-up efforts and broader changes in local waste management practices, which are not detailed in the available accounts.

Sources

• Oceanic Society – 2023 Global Ocean Cleanup
• Detik – Sampah Terkumpul di Pantai Labuan Bajo Nyaris 1 Ton