Save the Gili Turtles & Help to Build a Hatchery

Building a Sustainable Future for Gili T Despite Major Challenges


Over the past three months, our team on Gili Trawangan has been working through one of the most important transitions in the island’s history of waste management.

As tourism continues to grow, so does the amount of waste produced on our small island. Unlike mainland communities, Gili Trawangan has no landfill and very limited space to store waste. Every day, we face the challenge of protecting the island’s environment, marine ecosystems, and tourism-based economy while managing increasing volumes of waste.

This year, we began implementing a new waste management system focused on source separation, composting, recycling, upcycling, and responsible handling of residual waste. We have spent months conducting surveys, meeting with businesses and residents, developing new collection systems, and educating the community about separating waste into organic, recyclable, glass, and residual categories.

One of the biggest challenges we faced involved the island’s new incinerators. Three units were delivered and installed with the hope of helping address Gili Trawangan’s growing waste problem. However, only one unit was able to operate briefly. The other two units failed emissions testing, and recently local authorities issued a formal notice stating that none of the units can operate until the required operational certification process is completed.

While this was disappointing, it also confirmed something important: Gili Trawangan cannot rely on incineration alone to solve its waste crisis.

As a result, we are accelerating our transition toward a more sustainable and circular system. Instead of focusing only on disposal, we are investing in sorting, composting, recycling, glass upcycling, and transporting residual waste off the island for proper treatment.

Our team currently consists of only 39 staff members working across waste collection, sorting, compost production, glass recycling, administration, and operations. Yet the new system requires significantly more manpower. Our goal is to expand to more than 80 local jobs, creating employment opportunities while improving environmental protection.

We are also working toward several critical infrastructure projects:

* Expanding composting operations for organic waste.
* Increasing sorting and recycling capacity.
* Developing glass upcycling into useful products.
* Purchasing additional equipment and collection vehicles.
* Securing land for waste management activities.
* Establishing a dedicated system to transport residual waste to Lombok.
* Raising funds for a barge and transport truck to move waste safely and consistently off the island.

These investments will help ensure that waste no longer accumulates on Gili Trawangan and that the island can move toward a truly sustainable waste management model.

Despite the obstacles, there have been encouraging signs of progress. More residents and businesses are participating in waste separation, awareness of environmental issues continues to grow, and local stakeholders are increasingly recognizing that waste management is a shared responsibility.

We remain committed to turning Gili Trawangan into a model for small island sustainability in Indonesia and beyond.

None of this would be possible without your support.

Your donations help us continue building practical, long-term solutions that protect coral reefs, beaches, wildlife, local livelihoods, and the future of this unique island community.

Thank you for standing with us during this critical period of transformation. Together, we are proving that even a small island can become a powerful example of environmental leadership.

With gratitude,

The Gili Eco Trust & FMPL Team