Misool - Bank Sampah

Just back from Indonesia. It was an epic trip, but an intense one. Three projects rolled into one trip. Which meant a whole heap of travel and an ever-increasing workload. But more than that, it meant meeting amazing human beings at every location. Being blown away by the work they are doing and the dedication to protecting our ocean.

Our first stop was in Sorong, West Papua. Somewhere most travellers see for just a few hours on their way to Raja Ampat. But we were lucky enough to connect with the Misool Foundation & Bank Sampah team to learn more about their incredible work.

Our role on the trip was to document the project & create a short film to help raise awareness & much needed funding to continue their work.

Misool Community Recycling: Working with local communities to keep Raja Ampat’s reefs waste-free

As the number 2 plastic polluter in the world, Indonesia produces about 130,000 tons of plastic and solid waste every day, and only about half of that reaches landfill sites. Municipal services such as waste management rarely reach remote coastal communities. In 2014 we built a local solution to this global problem called Bank Sampah Sorong Raya (BSSR) in Indonesian.

BSSR incentivizes local communities to properly dispose of waste by purchasing rubbish directly from these coastal villages. Materials are then shipped back to the mainland and processed for recycling, diverting ocean-bound plastics while improving household incomes. BSSR members can choose to be paid directly for their waste or leave funds in the ‘bank’ to collect interest.

In 2021, pandemic restrictions meant that many of our Community Recycling Programme’s (Bank Sampah Sorong Raya or BSSR in Indonesian) operations became impossible as they are dependent upon in-person interactions. Despite a reduced scope, the team collected an impressive 48.9 MT of waste in 2021.