Introducing: INDOxMELT
The transdiciplinary and transnational INDOxMELT collective wants to accelerate solutions to plastic pollution. We see the reduction of new waste as main priority and strive for systems change towards a Circular Economy.
We are raising funds to support our efforts to develop a Circular Economy Innovation Center (more simply, Circular Center) in Nusa Penida, Bali. Our project will enable Nusa Penida to become a “Living Lab” where the whole island system tranforms wastes into resources, and we develop novel social, material, and design solutions for plastic issues in small islands or rural settings.
The project tackles socio-ecological problems with regard to waste. It offers mutual exchange, supports citizens in handling of waste in creative ways and prevents leakage of waste into the environment.
Why are we raising funds?
We are raising funds in order to start the Circular Economy Innovation Center project. We need money in order to buy and build machines with which plastic can be transformed and reused on the island. We want to provide reusable cups and pocket ashtrays in order to reduce litter. We do not need to build new infrastructure for waste management, but will be symbiotic with the operations of Ministry of Waste. Additionally, we want to partner with waste pickers and subsidize their uniforms to improve their status in society.
MISSION
Inspiring collective action to cleanup and redesign systems to radically reduce waste in an island context by facilitating workshops, education and access to tools for reduction of single use plastic and litter, reuse, repair and remanufacture.
VISION
Radically reduce waste and build a resilient, circular economy island where all packaging and inbound materials become nutrients for localized production and healthy food systems via sharing economy and circular economy.
Social longer term: improving the social status of waste pickers by involving and integrating these marginalized citizens in stewarding the material and energy flows vital to the place/urban system.
Why Nusa Penida?
Nusa Penida is a remote and rural island and has no waste management system. Due to logistical problems of transporting waste to Bali, most waste is not recycled, but burned, dumped or buried. In the rainy season a lot of waste ends in the ocean and jeopardizes the important marine environment around Nusa Penida.
A CIRCULAR CENTER — What is it?
We want to create a maker lab for waste-based innovation where both local communities and international visitors can mutually exchange knowledge and ideas.
– The center will provide space for all steps needed for processing and transforming waste (cleaning, separating, shredding, melting, moulding, extruding, etc.) and by doing so prevent the disposal of waste into nature. It’s important for us to get plastic as raw materials into the hands of craftspeople and artisans, who will find high-value products to create from this.
– We plan weekly activities such as providing tools and lessons on repairs and repurposing stuff in order to reduce the production of new waste.
– The center will also function as a place to connect different local and international initiatives by providing access to networks, bridging innovators, investors, and community.
– We want to establish extracurricular education at local schools with regard to circular economy. Local champions can spread education as role models and stewards.
– Besides, we aim at organizing waste auditing after beach clean ups for better-informed solution development. The data collection will enable us to identify businesses that are the most relevant sources of waste and to focus on the origin of waste problems.
– Furthermore, we would like to host researchers/artists in residence who are working on circular economy and other waste related issues. On the long term we would also like to offer courses to students at the center and to build up university partnerships.
– Building on our experiences at UBC, we want to establish collaborative design projects. Waste can be used as material to create new valuable products. Educational workshops will enable local communities tocreate products from discarded materials that generate income.
– The center also offers a space for different initiatives to partner up in order to actively build action towards the reduction of waste on a national and international political level. Next to community leadership and action, states and businesses are addressed in order to tackle global power asymmetries with regard to waste.
COLLABORATIONS
INDOxMELT is already collaborating with multiple and varied local initiatives (such as local waste banks, cleanup project Trash Hero, a local elementary school, conservation organization Save the Plastic, and will partner with Ministry of Waste to develop a Circular Economy Innovation Center in Nusa Penida. Our unique collaboration with Ministry of Waste will enable us access to sorted plastic materials as a raw material to enable remanufacture of quality plastic goods in Nusa Penida. These raw materials can then be used by construction, furniture and craftspeople, generating economic value that can fuel further plastic collection, cleanup, and sequestration. We view collaboration across a diverse network of organizations as essential to the creation of future prosperity, and cornerstone to battling the toughest wicked problems of today.
WHO WE ARE
The INDOxMELT Collective works as an transdisciplinary (Engineering, Architecture, Design, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Business) and transcultural team (Indonesia, Canada, Germany), which enables us to combine various different perspectives. MELT Collective is experienced in running a circular economy lab at UBC, has expertise with technical/engineering solutions and a vast international network. Through ethnographic field work and qualitative data collection the Collective has gained extensive knowledge of Balinese and Javanese cultural concepts and power structures relevant with regard to waste management. The Collective builds its project on the members’ ongoing research projects related to waste at the University of British Columbia (Canada), Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg (Germany) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia).
VALUES
We have been doing continuing field stays at Nusa Penida in order to better understand how problems regarding waste are perceived and experienced by the local communities, which solution approaches already exist and with regard to which aspects the local communities wish for mutual exchange, change and action. We continuously apply self-reflection and self-monitoring in order to overcome Eurocentrism, North-South asymmetries and postcolonial tendencies. We partner up with local initiatives as equals, strive for mutual learning in order to develop global solutions for global waste problems together and our goals are connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
CONTACT
General curiosity: info (at) meltcollective.com
For contacts in Germany: lenakebi (at) me.com