This paradise, however, faces a hard reality as the many visitors create 20 tonnes of rubbish on average every single day. To save the island from becoming a live dumpster, we must act now.

With the project Music Against Rubbish, the crew is trying to help preserve the island and its natural beauties. Danica Badovinac, organizer of the event, says the upcoming festival will host big national and international names to raise awareness of the rubbish problem. "Rubbish is a national problem but the small community of Gili Trawangan want to become role models not just for the Gili's, but also for other islands. Setting a waste management system will take a lot of knowledge, energy, education and money but we are determined to do it!"

The festival will also include recycling workshops to teach attendants and locals how to act more environmentally friendly with rubbish and also how to be creative in reusing it. "There will be a deposit charge for cups on site, no glass bottles at all and all the rubbish will be collected by our many volunteers and sorted properly," said Danica.

On the last day of the festival there will be a 1-day clean-up action of Gili Trawangan, after which the entire island is to be become garbage-free (reef and land both are to be cleaned with the help of the SEAMADE organization). The rubbish will be collected, sorted and sent off the island or reused.

Join us at the festival in Gili Trawangan from 21st until 23rd of October 2016 and do good! You can support the project here.

To learn more about Gili Trawagan and preserving the surrounding coral reefs, check our article!