An old man returned home with a white sack filled with used bottles. He took three different bottles and in less than an hour turned them into a lamp.

With a light bulb and cable, the lamps soon brightened up the room.

'€œThis lamp is unbreakable,'€ explained Bob Novandy, comparing his craft to popular crystal-made lamps found in stores.

The 59-year-old man said he has been recycling used bottles at his home in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, since 2003.

Located in a narrow alley, Bob'€™s simple house attracts more attention than other houses in the neighborhood. He has not only decorated his house with curtains, lamps and table cloths that all were made out of recycled bottles, but he also placed the colorful pieces on his house'€™s exterior.

The father of three said the idea to recycle used bottles first came to him when he held a mineral water bottle that had been carelessly discarded by his second son, Vitra Ismoyo Putra, around 12 years back.

At that time, he thought that transforming used bottles into something useful would benefit both people and environment.

He recalled a big flood that hit the capital city in Feb. 2, 2002, during which he found a ton of floating used bottles under a bridge in Kebon Jeruk.

The devastating tragedy, he said, boosted his spirit to try to recycle used bottles.   

He said that upon the celebration of the country'€™s Independence Day on Aug. 17, 2003, he took a cutter and tried to modify used bottles into lampions. He displayed them in front of his house. Surprisingly, his friends bought them because of their unique beauty.

He then realized that the recycled used bottles not only helped save the environment, but could also give economic benefits.

Former environment minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja heard Bob'€™s recycling efforts and visited him in 2006. Since then, Bob has been in the spotlight.

Soon, orders came in, such as from the management of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) park, which asked him to decorate its meeting hall more than 200 lanterns made of recycled bottles. He was later asked to decorate one of its hotels in Bogor, East Java.

He said each lamp could be changed into a different design since it was made of elastic plastic, not rigid glass. Therefore, his customers could change their shapes every time they get bored with their looks.

 '€œI did not learn to recycle trash and make lamps at school or in any course. My only teacher is God,'€ said the man, who could make more than 300 lamps of different styles in a month.

Over the years, he found no problem in getting used bottles to fit the purpose since he could buy them from trash collectors.

With his creative mind, he wondered about the country'€™s high unemployment rate since a simple used bottle could be turned into cash with a touch of creativity.

'€œFrom garbage, everyone can become an entrepreneur. This business needs Rp 100,000 [US$7.78] to start to buy a cutter, glue, scissors and other equipment. Why should we go all the way overseas to work? Where is our pride and dignity as a big nation?'€

He said prices of his recycled products depend on their sizes and the complexity of their making processes, but mostly range between Rp 50,000 and Rp 2.5 million each. Once, a popular beverage maker company used his recycled products as souvenirs for their charity events abroad.

His skills have also led to him getting invited to give training workshops on recycling across the archipelago.

One of them, he said, was in Southeast Maluku province, where he was invited to train more than 200 students and staff from public schools, Islamic boarding schools and churches in Tual city from Nov. 23 to Dec. 4, 2014.

He said he would be happy to train anyone wanting to learn recycling skills at his house for free.

His offer, however, failed to attract his neighbors to follow in his steps or to appreciate his efforts. Instead, he claimed his neighbors broke a gate made out recycled bottles that he placed in the neighborhood.

But he did not give up his hope and wish that recycling efforts could become a home industry someday or would be taught at school.

And currently, the man '€” who was named an environmental hero by former Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo in 2011 for his dedication to recycling '€” is making a book about recycling efforts using used bottles.

Bob said he still remembered when he met the then Jakarta governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, now the President, in September 2012. He said Jokowi praised him and asked him to continue saving the environment through his recycling efforts.

'€œHe [Jokowi] also asked me to transform this business into a creative industry that can help reduce unemployment. I hope I can realize his hope.'€   

'€” Photos by A. Kurniawan Ulung