Garbage Bank Cleans-up Banyuurip Village

Banyuurip village used to be known as the dirtiest village in Surabaya city, East Java. The presence of Harapan Makmur garbage bank has made the village clean and healthy.

Ruskan Hadi and several other elders in Banyuurip felt uncomfortable with that negative description so they talked with the neighbourhood head to discuss the environmental problems.

Fast-forward to 2011 when Harapan Makmur garbage bank won a competition among garbage banks in Surabaya city. Their model was followed by at least 300 garbage banks.

The Harapan Makmur garbage bank has at least 150 customers, that regularly ‘save’ recyclable materials for the bank. Like a commercial bank customer, each customer of this garbage bank is provided with personal account.

“When a customer saves their recyclables, a garbage bank officer will weigh the materials and write the amount of money equal to the recyclables,” says Ruskan, explaining that the customer can withdraw the money anytime.

A kilogramme of cardboard boxes is valued at 1,200 rupiahs (0.12 U dollars) and a kilogramme of plastic is worth 2,500 rupiahs (0.25 US dollars). A kilogramme of crushed plastic glass values 8,500 rupiahs (0.85 US dollars) and a kilogramme of plastic bottles is valued at 6,300 rupiahs (US 0.63 US dollars).

The garbage bank was originally the initiative of the community people, but later World Vision supported it by providing a plastic crushing machine and helped renovate the garbage bank warehouse as well as provide managerial counselling.

Harapan Makmur garbage bank sells the recycled garbage it collects to a bigger recyclables collector that later sells the goods to a factory recycling garbage.

Harapan Makmur garbage bank also encourages Banyuurip people to wisely use clean water. The bank introduced water filters to ensure people have access to cleaner water. Water that used to go directly into the ditch, can now be filtered to use for watering plants or to wash a motorcycle.

One challenge for Harapan Makmur garbage bank is that youth are reluctant to become involved in this activity.

“We plan to socialise this activity to youth. We will embrace youth,” Ruskan says

*Written by Bartolomeus Marsudihardjo