Co/Lab: Rethinking Waste
A design-driven exploration of waste streams in Indonesia.
A Confronting Start in Bantar Gebang
“The journey began in Bantar Gebang, Indonesia’s largest landfill. There, the designers met the Women Wastepicker Association (WWCA) and witnessed how people literally live alongside mountains of waste. They were confronted with the unjust working conditions of waste pickers, who have virtually no alternatives and are therefore trapped in this work. They also spoke with activist Resa Boenard, founder of BGBJ, an education centre that aims to free young people from this vicious cycle. According to Jakarta’s waste management plans, Bantar Gebang will close as an open dump in 2031. One thing became painfully clear during this visit: there is no future for this model of waste management in Bantar Gebang.”
Collaboration with WAHU
The next stop was WAHU (Waste Hub Indonesia), the travel partner and guide during the journey. At the sorting facility, the designers saw how plastic was carefully separated, cleaned and compressed. In Bandung they visited WAHU’s best-performing hub, where hundreds of kilos of waste are collected each week. Local residents bring in their materials and are paid per kilo, ensuring that the waste is not burned or dumped but actually enters the recycling process. Particularly inspiring was the local church community that separates waste after Sunday service and donates the proceeds to charity. WAHU’s decision to remain open on weekends proved to be a simple but effective way of improving accessibility.
Learning from Communities
The exploration continued with inspiring community-led initiatives in waste management. In RW 07 Joglo, a middle- to higher-income neighbourhood, a composting site, a waste bank and a collection system for the whole community have been established since 2019. Around half of the residents now participate in waste separation. A collection system with recognisable jingles, a waste bank where residents can receive financial rewards, and the processing of organic waste into compost all lower the threshold for participation. This makes it relatively easy for residents to join in. Challenges remain, however: changes in leadership, the absence of enforceable rules and inconsistent resident participation. This example highlights how complex community-level waste management can be, where social dynamics, unregulated labour and everyday negotiations determine the final outcome.
In RW 03 Cempaka Putih Timur, a lower-income neighbourhood, the level of participation is significantly higher: nearly 90% of households engage in waste separation. Here, waste sorting has become the norm, not so much because of infrastructure, but due to consistent behavioural change, strong leadership and shared ownership. As the narrow streets make large-scale facilities impossible, small-scale waste banks were established in each neighbourhood cluster. The community also invests the shared proceeds in activities for everyone, such as group outings, further strengthening social bonds.
Waste is always present, yet the systems behind it are often invisible. In Indonesia, I encountered all kinds of ingenious solutions for scarce space and for engaging residents. What has stayed with me most is how deeply Indonesian culture values cohesion and community. Waste separation there is not only practical, but also a way of creating connection.
Insights and Paradoxes
During the field visits, the designers frequently encountered paradoxes in the way waste is addressed. On the one hand, they saw how collective action around waste management can make a neighbourhood lively and connected. On the other hand, individual efforts to tackle waste often feel too complicated and unfeasible. Waste is therefore not an individual problem: the most promising solutions lie in collaboration. Social connection can act as a catalyst for better waste management and, conversely, waste initiatives can grow into powerful means of bringing people together.
The journey culminated in a new central question, also presented during the symposium: What if we connect through waste?
Opportunities for the future lie, among other things, in improving waste separation at household level and in supporting WAHU in further developing their collectively driven model. This requires the right infrastructure, better accessibility and reward systems that enable local leaders to sustain movements until they evolve into self-evident, everyday habits.
I have learnt so much from Mayra, Noud and Yasmin. Their way of working has inspired me enormously. I cannot wait to go to the Netherlands and see how design contributes to sustainability there.
In September, the Indonesian designers will continue their journey in the Netherlands. There, they will visit waste initiatives, explore social design practices and collaborate with fellow designers. These insights will be translated into new concepts, prototypes and an exhibition — all with the aim of building a stronger and more sustainable waste management system.
I am really looking forward to going to the Netherlands! Waste is a global issue, and it will be fascinating to see how waste systems function in Dutch communities, while also learning from other examples of social design that can enrich our project.
