In the Maluku Islands: Louis Margot's Perspective on Plastic

His journey across Indonesia echoes our upcoming expedition to Ambon: to protect a bay, we must understand how waste gets there.

Plastic waste accumulated on an Indonesian coastline. © Louis Margot

By The SeaCleaners Swiss team
Published in 03/2026

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Following his Pacific crossing, Louis Margot continued his journey across Indonesia, travelling as far as the Kei Islands in the Maluku archipelago. Along the coastlines and throughout his encounters, he witnessed the tangible impact of single-use plastic consumption and still-insufficient waste management systems.

Why these observations matter to us

In Ambon, waterways carry urban waste into a nearly enclosed inner bay. Some of this debris washes up onto shores or ends up in mangrove forests, whose root systems can trap the waste. These realities underscore our strategy of combining offshore cleanup, research, and onshore awareness initiatives.

Images that raise awareness

Louis's perspective contributes to a broader effort: shedding light on what is happening along coastlines to inspire action, without placing the sole responsibility on local residents. Alongside LPMK, our local partner, this approach already takes shape through educational programmes in Ambon's schools and with coastal communities.

A single common thread links Louis's journey to our mission: facing reality head-on, and then developing solutions together with the people who live by the ocean every day.

Sources: Human Impulse; presentation materials for the Ambon programme.