Waste management has evolved into a collaborative effort that includes all stakeholders like the government, society, and the business world in the last decade. Used packaging is increasingly seen as a commodity with the potential to be exploited rather than trash.

The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) estimates that 100 to 400 thousand tons of plastic garbage reach Indonesian oceans each year. At this rate, they predict that the amount of plastic waste in the oceans will outweigh the number of marine life in 2050.

Over 7,200 tons of rubbish are generated each day in Jakarta alone. It's no surprise that Indonesia's waste management issue demands our special attention.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Waste4Change (@waste4change)

Concerned about these situations, Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano founded Waste4Change, a social enterprise that offers environmentally friendly and responsible waste management services towards a trash-free Indonesia.

"I've wanted to start an organization to address environmental issues, particularly waste, since I started college," Sano says.

Greeneration Indonesia is the first nonprofit he started, which manages several ecologically friendly enterprises. Beginning with the creation of reusable folding bags known as "Bagoes", Waste4Change was founded to become a provider of trash management services and solutions. 

The organization, created in 2014, manages trash management systems and educates locals on waste management. More than 1,700 homes and significant corporations have joined Waste4Change.

Modern problems, modern solutions

The Zero Waste to Landfill technique is a defining feature of Waste4Change. Waste is segregated at the source, ensuring that everything is treated without being transferred to the Final Disposal Site (TPA), and there is detailed waste flow reporting.

 

 

 

 

 

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Waste4Change does provide not only garbage transportation and sorting services but also strategic services to a variety of groups, including businesses. According to Sano, the "4" in the term Waste4Change refers to four essential activities that are carried out: consultations, educational campaigns (campaign), waste collection (collect), and initiatives to turn garbage into repurposed goods (create).

"What distinguishes us from non-governmental groups or other environmental organizations is that we are running a business. ... We are self-sufficient and do not rely on donations," he explained.

Sano has been interested in environmental issues since he was young. After watching investigative exposes that revealed the severity of garbage in Jakarta, he was inspired to explore the waste world. It brought Sano to major in Environmental Engineering at ITB.

Even though his background is running environmental organizations, he needs to spend a year conducting research to develop the Waste4Change concept.

"We spent almost a year prototyping and conducting customer research. Before we made PT Waste4Change Alam Indonesia, we did it through little projects through Greeneration Indonesia," he said.

He also said that the money to start the social business was not small. "[We needed] Rp 1.5 billion when we started Waste4Change. This money was used to build a material recovery facility, buy a fleet of vehicles, and pay for a lot of different projects," Sano said.

Service-oriented

The service orientation distinguishes and gives Waste4Change an advantage over similar enterprises. They also have permission to manage the waste, which will be transferred to the Waste4Change site and sustainably managed.

"Waste4Change is a service-oriented enterprise that aligns with the goal of reducing trash in Jakarta by 30 percent through education and preventive actions. The remaining 70 percent is achieved through waste management. Waste4Change has a permit to manage the waste that we transfer to our own facility in a responsible manner," Sano explained.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sano claims that the presence of Waste4Change has had a lot of positive consequences, particularly on the local environment, and it can increase and strengthen their economy. 

The enterprise has collaborated with numerous partners, including The Body Shop, Wardah, and Jakarta Fashion Week.