Meet Melati and Isabel, two world changing kids. They are on a journey to change the world for the better. The successes from their first Bye Bye Plastic Bag project has helped them a lot. Now they are going global, banning plastic bags from the world.

BBPB, or Bye Bye Plastic Bags are on a very successful journey. It all starts in their first BBPB project. BBPB Bali. But how did it all start? Their first step to banning plastic bags all began at school.

It all started from one lesson. It started at school. Green School Bali. They were learning about significant people. On they way home that day Melati and Isabel decided that they also wanted to become significant so, they created BBPB.

“Why should we wait till we were all grown up?”

Isabel and Melati were determined to become significant right there and then.

From that moment Melati and Isabel knew what they had to do. They researched what threats Bali faced and came up with plastic bags as one of the biggest threats.

“We don’t even need them!”

Finding all the horrible things about plastic bags, they formed their own team, and started organizing beach cleanups. They even visited schools to spread awareness. But this wasn’t enough for them. They wanted to rid plastic bags from Bali once and for all

With a big goal in mind, Melati and Isabel tried to contact the governor of Bali but, he wouldn’t see them. After visiting one of their idols home, they had just a right idea that might make the governor meet them. Minds filled with inspiration, they decided to go on a hunger strike.

“We knew we weren’t making the government looking his best by doing this, but it worked.”

A few days later while they were still at school, government officials hurriedly picked them up from school. After a well meant speech, and a few meetings, they had done it. On June 2015 they had signed a MOU with the government of Bali. But of course, baby steps. Bali would become plastic bag free by 2018.

By September the same year, they had gotten a spot at a TED-Talk session in London. And by January next year, 13 different countries had shown their interest to creating BBPB projects all over the world. Another city in Indonesia was intrigued by BBPB. Jakarta, the heart of Indonesia. If they could make Jakarta plastic bag free, they could make the whole of Indonesia plastic bag free. Finally they could reach their goal. But they never forget, their mission isn’t complete. It won’t be complete until the world will finally see plastic bags as a threat. To finally ban them, not just charge a nickel for one. To ban them for once and for all.

Author's Note:

Melati and Isabel have accomplished great things, but not many people know about them. They started BBPB after researching threats that faced Bali. They found plastic bags. After going to Bali a few times myself, I have seen some beaches that are complete opposites. The beaches from luxurious hotel are all clean and tidy, but the public beaches were full of trash. Even in Singapore the trash from Indonesia strand themselves on the beaches of Singapore. Since the first time I visited Bali to the most recent visit, I can see that the beaches have been cleaned up. The public beaches that once were full of trash now have a minimalistic amount of trash. The struggle they went through even though has truly helped the world.