Processing Waste, Caring for the Environment Together

Amidst growing urban waste problems, residents of RT 11/RW 07 Gandaria Utara, South Jakarta, are showing that change can start from the smallest neighbourhood. Through the Kompos Keliling (KOMLING) programme, household organic waste no longer ends up in disposal sites but is processed into useful compost. This mutual cooperation-based initiative also serves as an educational space for residents to manage waste starting from their own homes. Every morning, an electric KOMLING cart navigates the narrow alleys of RT 11/RW 07 Gandaria Utara. Residents who have sorted their organic waste from home await its arrival. In this neighbourhood, waste management begins not at the final disposal site, but in each household’s yard. One by one, residents hand over leftover vegetables, fruit peels, and kitchen scraps to the officer. For them, sorting waste is no longer an extra chore but a daily habit believed to reduce the environmental burden. Unlike conventional waste carts, the KOMLING electric vehicle is specifically designed to transport organic waste to the processing site. This simple innovation symbolises that waste management can be done in a more environmentally friendly way. Upon arrival at the processing site, the organic waste is sorted again before entering the composting process. What was previously considered useless slowly transforms into material that will fertilise plants. The KOMLING programme not only transports waste but also educates residents on the importance of managing waste from home. This awareness is the foundation of change in the residential area. In addition to processing organic waste into compost, residents also utilise a Smart Geprek machine to recycle plastic waste. This step broadens efforts to reduce the amount of waste ending up in final disposal sites. The programme thrives thanks to resident involvement. From sorting waste, handing over organic scraps, to processing it into compost, everything is carried out through a spirit of mutual cooperation cultivated within the community itself. The resulting piles of compost are a sign that change does not always require grand technology or complex policies. Starting with one electric cart and the habit of sorting waste, the residents of Gandaria Utara demonstrate that a cleaner environment can be built from simple steps taken together.