Bawah Reserve Earth Day Pledges

2 years ago for Earth Day 2022, we created 10 sincere pledges for investing in the planet for the future. Last year for Earth Day 2023 we shared with you the amazing progress of those pledges. Now for Earth Day 2024, we are so happy to say that these pledges are ongoing and we have some amazing achievements from the last 3 years to share...

1) We will manage our resort, by recruiting local staff – first from the Riau
community and then from the rest of Indonesia.

smiling_males_female_staff_holding_towel_tray_bawah_uniform_standing_at_jetty (2)-jpg

2023 Update:

Nearly 30% of the island team are from the Anambas, 30% are from the Kepualuan Riau province and 40% are from other parts of Indonesia.

2024 Update:

Riau Islanders remain the source of most staff here at Bawah Reserve.
55% of our staff are from the Riau Islands with 54 from Anambas and 69 from other
parts of the Riau Islands. In addition to this, 1 in 4 of our managers are from Riau Islands.

2) Four-ring local sourcing policy:

1-We grow it on Bawah,

2-We import from the Anambas islands,

3-We purchase from Batam Island,

4-We purchase from the rest of Indonesia.

Rosella plant Permaculture Gardens 2

2023 Update:

Our garden has expanded more than ever, with bananas, chili padi, and lots more vegetables growing. The hydroponic area was widened to produce more fresh vegetables.

We continue to support the community of the Anambas, where we buy most of our fresh fish from local fishermen.

We source amazing arts and crafts from the empowered “ibu-ibu” of Anambas for our boutique, as well as sustainable brands from Indonesia. When we can’t source things within Anambas, we source from other parts of Indonesia, ideally from Batam or Sumatra before we try to source it internationally.

2024 Update:

We continue to follow this sourcing pledge. We now have a routine order to
the “ibu-ibu” of Anambas for making the local snacks that are available in every villa and dining outlet.

All food products are sourced within Indonesia. Seafood specifically from Anambas and Riau
Islands, the rest is from other parts of Indonesia.

We now also serve premium Indonesian beef from Tokusen, a breed original from Lampung, Indonesia.

3) For the future health of our marine reserve ecosystem, we will deploy another 150 coral spiders, 50 hexadomes and 50 bottle reefs on our coral reefs.

bottle reef

2024 Update:

We have rehabilitated 833m sq of reef in total, 124m sq added since last Earth Day.

We have 1686 Artificial reef units currently deployed.

We have experimented with two new artificial reef designs by deploying prototypes of the following:
- Coral Slab
- Coral Sheet

Since April 2022 we have deployed an additional:

-50 Coral spiders

-551 Hexadomes

-37 Bottle reefs

-643 Coral stakes.

ARTIFICIAL REEFS LOCATION Bawah Reserve, Indonesia. Earth Day 2024 Update

4) We will continue to protect any turtle nests we discover and facilitate the nesting and
safe release of turtle hatchlings.

Turtle Release Bawah Anambas Foundation

2023 Update:

Since Earth Day 2022, we have protected 23 nests, with 15 having been previously unraided or washed with the tides for a success ratio of 83% hatch ratio, and just under 1000 hatchlings being released into the sea.

2024 Update:

Since Earth Day 2023, we have relocated 28 sea turtle nests, rescuing 1788 eggs, of which 1390
hatched successfully, for a success rate of 78%.

5) We will remain free from single-use plastic, while continuing to educate our suppliers on alternatives to plastic and polystyrene packaging, encouraging them to work towards going plastic-free too. #PlanetVsPlastics #EndPlastics

Bawah Copper Water Bottle

2023 Update:

Not only to remain free from single-use plastic, this year we are also trying to eliminate all plastic material. This starts with reducing the amount of plastic wrap used in the kitchen, sourcing items with non-plastic packaging and reusing our own containers for transportation to Bawah Reserve.

2024: Update:

We have worked closely with suppliers to educate them that excessive plastic packaging is
unnecessary. We remain free from single plastic use.

Our takeaway "to go" box and cutlery are all from bio-degradable material.

6) By recycling our own waste and supporting the local waste management program set up by the Anambas Foundation, we will work towards the goal of sending zero waste to landfill.

2023 Update:

Since April 2022, 22% of our recyclable items (7.390 kg) are sent to Kiabu which consists of cartons, glass bottles, plastic bottles (which we collect from our beach clean-ups, and other recyclable items.

2024 Update:

Since Earth Day 2022, 4,039 kg of waste which is more than a quarter of our recyclable items are
sent to Kiabu which consists of cartons, glass bottles, plastic bottles, and other odds and ends we
found from beach clean-ups.

7) We will grow enough vegetables and fruit to meet at least 40% of Bawah’s needs.

Bawah-reserve-medium-res-4786 (1) Permaculture

2023 Update:

Since April 2022, we have harvested 1.638 kg of fruits and vegetables for staff and guest consumption. This number makes up 41% of our green needs. This year we are planning to expand our garden to produce even more.

2024 Update:

We doubled our vegetable and fruit yield from last year with a staggering 3200kg for guest and staff consumption.

8) We will compost 100% of our organic waste to create nutrient-rich soil for our
permaculture gardens.

compost - greenhouse - permaculture

2023 Update:

All of our organic waste was composted and we now have a dedicated section of land at the back of the house for this composting process.

2024 Update:

We continue to compost all of our organic waste on a dedicated section of land at the back of the house. We are also in the process of purchasing a state-of-the-art composter machine so we can get a faster compost result.

9) We commit to using only environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and pesticides at
the resort.

Housekeeping making bed

2023 Update:

We stay committed to our environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and pesticides. Strictly only natural and reef-friendly products are provided.

2024 Update:

We stay committed to use only environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and pesticides at the
resort.

10) We will systematically introduce solar power to meet our electricity needs.

solar panels sea bawah

2023 Update:

Our solar panel efficiency has risen up to 40-45% efficiency with the plan to eventually get to 100% over the coming years.

2024 Update:

Our solar panel efficiency has risen to 47% from last year’s 45%.

Follow us for updates on these pledges or come and see them in action for yourselves. Our Earth First achievements are updated every month on our beautiful achievements board.

For more information on how you can get involved with Earth Day 2024:

Facebook: @EarthDay.org

IG: @earthdaynetwork

YouTube: @EARTHDAYORG

TikTok: @earthdayorg

LinkedIn: @EARTHDAY.ORG

Psst: We are also very happy to be included in the Observers feature on: The World’s Top Sustainable Stays for the Conscious Traveler.

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