Building Clean Beach Tourism: Analyzing Waste Management for Sustainable Coastal Tourism in East Java, Indonesia

All relevant stakeholders are integral to the execution of waste management and coastal conservation initiatives. A comprehensive qualitative research study was conducted to analyze waste composition on the South Coast of East Java, evaluate its ecological and health impacts, explore the potential contributions of community knowledge, attitudes, and skills in coastal waste management, and develop effective and sustainable waste management strategies through a SWOT analysis. The research included examining waste at Balekambang Beach as a case, involving on-site observations and calculations to determine the relative and absolute densities of waste along 750 coastline segments. The study area is divided into three stations. The findings revealed that organic waste, such as wood, leaves, and twigs, is the dominant waste component at beach, while plastic emerged as the predominant inorganic component. The ecological impact of waste at Tourism Beach fell into the moderate pollution category. Most of the respondents acknowledged the environmental and health implications of beach waste and demonstrated commendable knowledge, attitudes, and skills in waste management. Coastal waste management can be successful if weaknesses and threats are addressed proactively.