With a massive amount of trash, a shortage of landfills and poor waste management, Jakarta has a serious garbage disposal problem.

In the last five years the amount of waste produced by the capital city has risen 36 percent and shows no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, the main dumpsite the city has long relied on to handle its waste, Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, is predicted to reach its maximum capacity in the next three years.

While the city administration struggles to tackle the complex problem, communities and businesspeople have shed a ray of hope by getting their hands dirty, as there have been growing movements in society where members of the public actively take part in reducing waste through numerous innovative programs.

For example, waste bank initiatives in many areas of the capital offer various incentives to attract residents to sort their waste in order to minimize waste delivered to landfill.

Besides waste banks, other local initiatives to tackle waste have also started to tap into the business potential created by rising environmental awareness.

One of them is Denny M. Pondiu, founder of Bekas Beramal Foundation, who in 2015 opened a thrift store in Pamulang, Tangerang, Banten, where people can use recyclable waste as currency to buy the store's products. The thrift store offers various kinds of products, from electronics, clothes, staple foods and even used iPhones.

“Our thrift store uses a barter system. Each product can be exchanged for recyclable waste such as plastic bottles, paper or cardboard boxes. For example you can buy a pair of jeans for 20 to 30 kg of waste, and an iPhone for around 100 kg of waste,” Denny told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

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