Our Impact

our impact

Our program drives inter-generational change away from single-use plastic.

Since 2013 we have:

Stopped an estimated 14.7 million single-use cups from entering the waste stream
Engaged 17 Indonesian schools in our education program
Donated 4,578 stainless-steel water bottles to teachers, students and school staff
Run 27 teacher workshops - building teacher skills and knowledge
Installed 26 water refill stations in schools
Partnered with 19 Australian schools to support a growing global community solving plastic pollution

(figures June 2013 - June 2019)

stories of change

Changes at the canteen

Before the BfB program
"... all students and school staff drank water from single use plastic container, it was thought as being the easier option and more convenient since disposable containers could just be thrown away after being used. Teachers started noticing the waste accumulating and becoming a problem, but the idea of having stationary gallons of water did not occur to them until BfB."
- Ibu Yeti, teacher, Bali

After the BfB program
SDN 2 Canggu has phased out plastic cups completely since starting the program in 2016:

Students used to buy about 864 water cups each week
This dropped to about 90 cups each week by April 2017
By September 2017 the canteen stopped selling plastic cups altogether. A teacher now sells water refills in the classroom.

So in just 14 months, the school canteen stopped around 53,180 plastic cups from entering the waste stream – a number that increases by 864 plastic cups each week.

The school has stopped selling many food items wrapped in plastic. Instead they are using natural packaging such as banana leaf.

Changes at school

After joining the BfB program:
“Now I rarely use or buy food and drinks made from plastic packaging, as do my students. Now I bring my own drink with a bottle from BfB. Students also bring their own tumblers from home, and in the canteen they don't sell drinks in single-use plastic packaging."
- I Made Suparta, Teacher at SDN 5 Tonja

Changes in the community

"I am very happy to join the BfB program. One day, my friends and I were playing hopscotch. During the game, one of my friends was thirsty and she bought a drink in a plastic cup. After she drank it, she threw it into the river. When I saw that, I told her that throwing away plastic into the river will cause floods, fish will die and the river will be dirty. After that, we went back to our home. The next day, my friend did not throw waste into the river.”
- Year 4 Student at SD2 Canggu

Plastic is a convenient and practical thing to use, but it is really hard to recycle. Therefore I think we should reduce the use of plastic

- Canteen staff member, School near Ubud, Bali