.: Waste product goes around the world :.

Just recently I came back from a short trip in few different places.
Always, if possible I brought some pouches from waste-based products in my luggage.

I gave it as a gift to my friends in Europe, or asked them to buy it in reasonable prices (2-3 Eur). It's not money motivated me to do this. It's the awareness to spread the messages that your wastes could be unused and clogging the pipeline or floating on the river (which is very common view, if you ever visited developing parts in Asia). Or else, the very same waste materials could be reused and resell it to make income.
Of course there is creativity process in between to add more values, before the used-to-be waste materials could be sold as handicrafts.

This is the interesting part for me, as the creativity process actually came from those who 'categorized' as low economic group, living not very far from where the garbage storage.
Oh.... what I really like, they are mostly housewives (isn't great that women always know how to make things better?)

They (or some people as initiator) refused to accept the situation that they could not change their future. It took some time until people realized and they got more publicity from local (and later national) news.

During my several visits to the area, I have heard stories from the housewives how the situation before they become 'empowered' basically from trashes.
When it rained, oftentimes their houses (or the whole alleys) got drowned for one and half meter (!!!!)
It was because people just threw everything on the river, including a big sofa bed (believe me, some people in this world think it's normal to just throw away ANYTHING on the river).

The fact that their houses got drowned didn't always relate to how they should treat their garbage. It took some time of course by building awareness, build the system (e.g. to separate organic and plastic wastes), as well incentives by selling their products.

I must admit the efforts of these simple housewives to build their community not just inspirational, but also beneficial in terms of making themselves respected and getting financially independent.

These are the stories I shared to my friends every time I gave them the waste-based products.
It probably only cost 2-3 euros, which is nothing really even for them.

For a medium sized pouch (length 11 x height 6 x width 2 cm) they need at least 150 small sachets and some hours to work on it. It was all handmade.

this what your 150 instant coffee sachets could do

When I asked them why they did not want to sell it on higher prices to foreigner tourists (because they could and make much more sense). FYI, at this moment they already have buyers from all over the world due to the widespread publicity. They have sold it to tourists from Japan, European and Asian countries nearby.

Here's what they said : They have agreement beforehand among the housewives and they have set certain prices. Doesn't really matter who are the buyers, they're going to sell only based on these agreed prices. It is not money they are looking for.

This fact has impacted on me so much and motivated me to do something for the benefit of them.
That's why I started this blog (it's free anyway) and tried to resell the products among my close friends. 

What I also really wish, people would gain awareness to treat their garbage wisely.
I did it already from our home. We separated plastic bottles, instant coffee (or drink) sachets, paper waste, organic wastes etc.
Just like what I did when I lived in Europe (even for a short period).
We even tried to make our own eco-enzyme recently and encouraged people to do so : )

I believe we could really make big differences in life by doing small things.

.: From Bandung, for Mother Earth :.

Today was my 4th visit to the place that has taught me, that a person does not necessarily has to be highly educated to know how to take care of the environment by reducing and reusing waste.

These housewives have learned from their experiences, or their living environment that waste could be something useful. They have successfully made organic compost, biogas , handicrafts that are literally made from something people usually considered as trash.

Why I started to dedicate this blog for them, is because most of times they did not have enough publications or steady market where they could sell their products.
Although their activities has established since 2009 and many media exposed the way of reduce and reuse waste among this humble population, majority of the products were made only based on request from direct buyers.

Last year when I was off from my regular office work, I committed to dedicate (a little bit of) my effort, competency, time and gigabyte, to introduce some of the products from MyDarling (abbreviation from Masyarakat Sadar Lingkungan) to people out there.

I'm giving a shout, as they have inspired me to manage the waste wisely, so I'm helping them to spread the messages.
 

medium size : dimension 17 x 11 x 2 cm

 

it took more than 160 sachets (of your instant coffee) to make this wallet

 All are waste-based, hand made, with love from the simple housewives.

Plenty hours were spent to made this handicraft and it took more than 160 small sachets (of instant coffee or milk) for every medium size wallet, yet they sell it for only 2 USD.

They said even if they could sell it higher (as they have buyers from outside e.g. Japan, Australia, Europe) they wanted to keep it non-profit, because money is not the thing they looking for.

Mother Earth indeed needs more of them.

Simple inspiration from waste

Sederhana tapi menginspirasi.

Itu kesan saya saat pertama kali melihat Ibu Dewi dan teman-teman di Kelurahan Cibangkong.

Pertama kali saya mengenal bu Dewi Kusmiati lewat layar kaca, saat beliau diwawancara dalam salahsatu acara talkshow di sebuah TV swasta.
Beliau bercerita tentang kisahnya pernah menjadi pemulung di jalanan untuk memungut sampah yang dihasilkan orang, sebelum memulai sebuah usaha kecil berbasis sampah di lingkungan tempat tinggalnya sekarang.
Usaha berbasis sampah yang dimulai oleh bu Dewi sekarang telah menghasilkan bermacam produk turunan seperti biogas (yang dipakai oleh ibu-ibu rumah tangga disitu juga), kerajinan tangan seperti dompet, dan tas.

Setelahnya saya tekadkan agar bisa bertemu dengan perempuan yang jadi sumber inspirasi tentang cara mengelola sampah berbasis komunitas ini.

Saat mengunjungi bu Dewi dan teman-teman di kelurahan Cibangkong, ada banyak pengetahuan bisa saya pelajari terutama mengenai cara mengelola sampah secara sederhana.

My Darling.
Adalah singkatan dari Masyarakat Sadar Lingkungan.
Sebuah komunitas yang beliau rintis, berangkat dari kesadaran bahwa lingkungan harus dijaga dengan cara memanfaatkan kembali bahan-bahan yang dianggap sampah.

Pernah merasakan susahnya bertahan hidup di jalanan dan menjadi pemulung, tidak membuat bu Dewi dan keluarga patah semangat melainkan mencari jalan agar bisa mendapat penghasilan secara halal.

Di Kelurahan Cibangkong, bu Dewi mengadakan sekolah ibu (SI) yang digelar rutin setiap hari Sabtu siang, sebagai sarana bagi ibu-ibu rumah tangga yang bertempat tinggal di lingkungan sekitarnya untuk belajar berbagai keterampilan. Keterampilan yang dipelajari tidak terbatas pada keterampilan membuat kerajinan tangan berbahan dasar sampah, tetapi juga keterampilan berbahasa Inggris atau presentasi.

Saya membeli beberapa buah tangan yang dibuat oleh ibu Tati dan teman-teman, berupa dompet berbahan dasar bekas kemasan minuman instan.
Dompet yang dikerjakan oleh ibu-ibu ini kualitasnya bagus, sambungannya rapat dan jahitannya rapih. Hampir-hampir tak terlihat bahwa bahan dasar yang digunakannya adalah bekas kemasan, yang seringnya dibuang begitu saja oleh orang.

100% hand made, made from Milo sachet

Usaha ini tidak berfokus pada keuntungan, melainkan hanya pada keinginan untuk mengurangi sampah dan menjadikan sesuatu yang lebih bernilai dari bahan sampah. Di samping itu  ibu-ibu My Darling juga tidak mempunyai pasar khusus untuk menjual hasil kerajinan yang mereka hasilkan.

Seringnya produk yang telah mereka buat hanya digunakan sendiri atau untuk diberikan sebagai hadiah kepada kerabat.

Melihat potensi yang ada dari ibu-ibu RT di Kelurahan Cibangkong ini, saya jadi terdorong untuk membantu memasarkan produk kerajinan tangan yang sudah mereka hasilkan.

from waste to wallet.

Dari obrolan ibu-ibu disana, mereka mengeluhkan kadang kekurangan bahan baku bekas kemasan minuman instan. Untuk membuat sebuah dompet ukuran kecil dibutuhkan kurang lebih 70 bekas kemasan minuman (!!!) dan akibatnya mereka tidak bisa memenuhi target bila ada pesanan kalau bahan bakunya kurang.

Hal ini jadi mengingatkan saya saat masih kerja kantoran dulu, di mana setiap harinya banyak bungkus bekas minuman instan (seringnya kopi) terbuang begitu saja di tempat sampah.
Padahal sampah yang sama sangat berguna bagi ibu-ibu ini setiap harinya sebagai bahan baku kerajinan tangan dan punya nilai jual.

it took almost 70 sachets of instant drink to make this small wallet

Kesadaran ibu-ibu My Darling untuk mengurangi sampah dan mengubah sampah menjadi sesuatu yang bernilai jual itu yang juga menulari saya, serta menggerakkan saya untuk melakukan sesuatu yang dapat membantu mereka.

Bayangkan jika setiap kemasan bekas minuman instan yang kita minum tiap hari tidak terbuang ke tempat sampah, maka sedikitnya kita bisa mengurangi jumlah sampah plastik yang berpotensi merusak lingkungan karena tidak terurai tanah.

100% environment-friendly & reducing waste

Musim banjir kembali datang awal tahun ini.
Banyak faktor bisa menyebabkan banjir, mulai dari curah hujan tinggi, berkurangnya luas tanah yang seharusnya menjadi sumber resapan, atau saluran air yang tersumbat sampah.

Tetapi ada hal-hal kecil yang bisa kita lakukan untuk mengurangi sampah dan berkontribusi positif untuk lingkungan, seperti :
- Mengumpulkan bungkus bekas minuman instan (dari kantor, tempat kos, warteg langganan) dan dikirimkan ke ibu-ibu My Darling (atau usaha kecil berbasis sampah serupa).
- Membeli produk ramah lingkungan dan mudah terurai (biodegradable).
- Memisahkan sampah organik (bisa dikelola jadi kompos) dan an-organik (untuk diambil pemulung, bisa dijual kembali ke penadah).
- Membawa tas sendiri saat belanja dan tidak menggunakan kantung plastik dari toko.

your instant coffee sachet can be reused

This what I always said to myself, start from simple things and start from today.