Jakarta, IO — In an area best known for the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST), textile waste is being given a new lease on life. Through the creativity of artisans at the Waste For Reuse workshop, worn-out jeans are transformed into a range of fashion products that have found markets not only in Indonesia but also overseas.

When Independent Observer visited the Waste For Reuse workshop, workers were busy finishing various products made from recycled denim, including bags, vests, hats and keychains.

Each month, Waste For Reuse produces up to 400 items across its product range. The products are marketed through online platforms and have reached international markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Prices range from Rp80,000 to Rp450,000.

Behind the initiative is 26-year-old craftsman Anam Nonako, who saw opportunity amid the piles of waste at TPST Bantargebang. About 150 meters from the landfill, he operates a modest workshop equipped with two sewing machines and supported by two workers, turning discarded denim into products with commercial value.

Anam chooses used jeans as his primary raw material because the fabric is generally of little interest to waste pickers. In most cases, only the zippers and buttons are salvaged, while the denim itself is discarded back into the landfill.

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Each week, waste pickers bring discarded jeans from TPST Bantargebang to sell to Anam for between Rp2,000 and Rp5,000 per piece, depending on their condition. The materials are then sorted, cleaned, cut and sewn into a variety of fashion products and accessories, thus adding value.

Anam has been running the denim recycling business since 2021. Thanks to his creativity and persistence in processing textile waste, he has built a business that generates tens of millions of Rupiah in monthly revenue, while helping reduce textile waste in the Bantargebang area. (IO/Septo Kun Wijaya)