People living in North Jakarta have noticed an unlikely business thriving in their neighborhood – trading in household waste for gold.

Does this sound too good to be true? The neighborhood of Wijaya Kusuma neighborhood is enjoying the gold rush.

Resident Sulistiyowati Soepomo has embraced a new adage: The more recyclable items like plastic bottles, paper and metal you collect, the more gold awaits you.

It's a new business opportunity initiated by the government involving the community, neighborhood waste bank and public pawnshop PT Pegadaian.

And here's how the program works. People collect recyclable items and have them weighed at the local waste bank every Tuesday. 

The waste is then consigned to the bank, which will resell it to the North Jakarta administration, which commits to buying the re...