Tracing the Scrap Collector Village of Depok: Hundreds of Residents Surviving on Waste
Depok — Kampung Melati in Depok city holds the lives of migrant residents now commonly known as living in a “scrap collector village.”
Their settlement, located at the end of Jalan Kampung Melati, appears hidden behind high-walled residential housing developments. The settlement is also wedged against the swift-flowing waters of the Ciliwung Canal.
Based on observations by Kompas.com at the location on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, the settlement atmosphere appeared deserted and quiet. The majority of residents have constructed semi-permanent structures with lightweight steel roofs and plywood sheets as their homes.
The narrow roads, only 2-3 metres wide, serve as the sole access route and silent witness to the bustling activity of residents pulling carts filled with scrap materials.
According to Sumanto, the administrator of RT 03 RW 30 in Mekar Jaya Village, the term “scrap collector village” in Kampung Melati originated from the large number of migrant residents seeking work. This phenomenon began in the early 1990s.
“There were many scrap collectors among the arrivals. So people here didn’t have many residents initially, and the scrap collectors were people from rural areas,” Sumanto said when met by Kompas.com at the location on Tuesday.
This situation led to significant population growth in Kampung Melati, particularly after the Eid holidays.
“Initially, when people here with migrant status would go back to their villages. When they returned, they often brought their relatives who might be unemployed in their home villages to the city,” Sumanto explained.
Over the years, Sumanto has observed nearly over 200 family cards (KK) living there and working as scrap collectors or waste collectors.
This profession has become the heart and lifeblood of their family lives, even enabling them to provide the best education for their children. Sumanto noted that some children of these residents who were born and raised in Depok are now able to attend school comfortably without needing to work as scrap collectors.