Community-Led Waste Management in Rural Indonesia. How the CLOCC Approach is Diverting Waste and Creating Local Ownership

Since August 2024, CLOCC has been collaborating with GoSirk in three villages in Tabanan, Indonesia, successfully proving that with community ownership and capacity building, Integrated Sustainable Waste Management is achievable and affordable.

The Village Assistance Program is being implemented in Bengkel, Dauh Peken, and Wongaya Gede Villages by GoSirk, a brilliant local organisation who are committed to creating circular, community-empowering waste systems. By working hand-in-hand with village governments and waste stakeholders, their approach complements the CLOCC methodology perfectly.

The Village Assistance Program aims to align local waste practices with the Tabanan Regency Waste Management Master Plan (Rencana Induk Pengelolaan Sampah or RIPS). With mentorship from CLOCC and GoSirk, each village has embarked on a transformative journey to improve collection rates, reduce environmental leakage, and build sustainable, community-led solutions.

What makes the CLOCC approach unique is the community-first approach. Each village has mobilized “Local Champions”—residents deeply engaged with waste issues—to serve as the bridge between government programs and grassroots action. This model ensures that any solutions that are implemented will continue to be owned and operated locally.  

The program focuses on mapping existing village waste systems, advocating for supportive local policies and budget allocations, building technical and governance capacity of village authorities, and providing essential infrastructure and equipment.

Twelve months into the program, the three villages have seen incredible improvements across all aspects of waste management. Over 300 individuals have been trained in various aspects of waste collection, processing, and community engagement. The initiative has successfully diverted 192 tonnes of waste from leaking into the environment, while 76 tonnes of recyclable materials have been processed through local facilities. 111 tonnes of organic waste have been converted into compost.

Community awareness has also seen a significant boost, with 878 residents including, students and community leaders, participating in waste-sorting education through schools and local events. Five offtaker agreements have been signed, helping to ensure sustainable market linkages for recyclable and organic materials. Formal waste collection systems now reach 1,639 households across the three villages.

Across the three villages, the average waste collection rate has risen to 62 percent, and the average monthly recycling rate stands at 41 percent. Nearly half of all households have received some form of education or socialization on proper waste management practices, laying a strong foundation for adopting future waste practices.

Through partnerships with two local TPS3R (Material Recovery Facilities), the initiative has also strengthened the village-level waste economy, creating jobs and adding value to recyclables and compost.

As well as the incredible progress already made, each village has ambitions to imrpove coverage and collection rates over the next two years:

• Bengkel Village targets 87% waste collection coverage by 2025, and aims for full coverage and independent TPS3R operations by 2026.

• Dauh Peken Village is formalizing legal frameworks and strengthening collaboration to achieve 100% waste service coverage and long-term sustainability by 2026.

• Wongaya Gede Village plans to reach 50% household-level organic waste sorting by mid-2025, with full waste collection coverage by the end of 2026.

  
  

These ambitions reflect a deeper shift underway in how communities take pride in cleaner, healthier environments and show that the CLOCC model is working and thriving.

The Village Assistance Program has shown that rural, community-driven waste management systems are scalable when rooted in local engagement and supported by capacity building. The model builds local pride, creates economic opportunity, and is potentially laying the groundwork for systemic change if adopted and scaled up.