LOMBOK, Indonesia — A British resident has drawn national attention to Indonesia’s growing litter problem after sharing an emotional video showing rubbish scattered across Bukit Pergasingan, a popular hiking destination in East Lombok.
Lucy, who has lived in Indonesia for 35 years, became emotional as she described her disappointment after reaching the summit and finding plastic waste scattered across the landscape. The three-minute video, shared on her Instagram account (@lucy_lari_lari) on Wednesday, quickly gained traction online.
“The view was incredible, the hills were beautiful, there were so many tourists and local visitors. But the amount of rubbish was unbelievable,” she said.
Lucy urged visitors to take greater responsibility for protecting nature, saying a place as beautiful as Bukit Pergasingan should never be overwhelmed by litter.
A second video posted on her account showed plastic bottles, food wrappers and other waste scattered along hiking trails, waterways and areas near the summit.
The backlash prompted the management of Bukit Pergasingan to temporarily close the hiking destination from Thursday while reviewing its visitor management and waste policies.
Royal Sembahulun, head of Bukit Pergasingan’s management, accepted the criticism, saying the footage reflected a wider waste problem across Sembalun rather than at the hill alone.
“Cleaning up after a viral video does not solve the problem,” Royal said. “What we need is an integrated and sustainable system to manage waste.”
He said managers are drafting new regulations, including a refundable rubbish deposit that would require hikers to bring back all of the waste they carry up the hill. Another proposal would require visitors to repackage food before starting their hike, following a system already used on Mount Rinjani.
Royal said routine clean-up efforts and inspections at the entrance had failed to stop littering, adding that stronger enforcement and meaningful penalties would be needed to improve compliance.
Overlooking the Sembalun Valley and Mount Rinjani, Bukit Pergasingan is one of Lombok’s best-known trekking destinations, attracting both domestic and international hikers.
The trail will remain closed until the new regulations are finalised.
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