Travel Notes for the First Half of 2025

Mahija believes that responsible recycling must protect the environment while respecting the role of the people who sustain it. Waste workers, whose roles are crucial but often not given the attention they deserve, are key drivers in Indonesia's plastic collection system. Strengthening their position is not only a matter of justice, but also an important part of building a resilient and ethical recycling ecosystem to support the achievement of a circular economy.

In the first half of 2025, Mahija continued this mission through three strategic pillars which form the basis of all our activities: 

Through these three pillars, Mahija continues to strengthen the upstream recycling system in Indonesia by engaging waste workers, community partners, and private sector stakeholders.

A key part of our efforts this year was Indonesia's Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI), a collaborative project that supports ethical, traceable and socially responsible plastic collection. While RSI presents a larger structure, instrument and scale, this initiative directly reinforces the long-term strategy that Mahija has been executing since its inception.

Mahija January-June 2025 Notes:

Ethical Waste Collection

We build a collection system that is not only efficient, but also ethical, from the daily operations in the field to how the community participates in the recycling process.

Through the program Recycle in Action programprogram, we managed to collect 134,897 PET bottles bottles at various public events, while four environmental education sessions helped raise public awareness on responsible waste management practices. Collaboration with Collection Centers and local waste banks remains a top priority to ensure every step in the collection process is transparent and accountable.

Empowered Waste Workers

Supporting waste workers is not just about earning an income, it's also about helping them access rights, services and opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. We focus on three main things: identity, education, and health.

On identity legality and basic services, we issued 111 identity and social protection documents, including ID cards, BPJS health insurance, and birth certificates. We also distributed 851 Ramadan packages and 3,120 iftar packages to support communities during the holy month.

On the health side, our peer educator training, Sahabat Sehat Mahija, expanded to three areas in Jakarta, equipping community members with knowledge and skills to improve well-being.

For children of waste workers, our Mobile School has reached 314 children, 65 students received scholarships, and 120 children received informal education support through our schools, Our School.

Engaged Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships

Through advocacy and collaboration, we encourage a change in the way waste workers are perceived, so that they are increasingly recognized, included and supported, both in policy and practice on the ground.

We maintain continuous engagement with local and national stakeholders to fight for greater recognition for informal waste workers. Our partnerships with the corporate sector, civil society and government have strengthened program implementation and expanded outreach. In addition, we also encourage voluntary community participation in Mahija's various programs, reinforcing collective action towards an inclusive and responsible recycling system.

System Change through RSI

Through RSI, we have introduced various tools and pilot projects to strengthen responsible collection practices, supplier accountability and worker protection.

Key achievements include:

• Trial traceability system at 2 Collection Centers
• Supplier Management Program by First Mile
• Pilot test collective representation model in 6 locations in the Greater Jakarta area
• Field assessment and safer work training for more than 170 workers

This is our story in the first half of 2025, a reflection on the progress made. Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our reach, deepening our impact and ensuring more waste workers get the recognition, protection and opportunities they deserve.

Thank you for supporting Mahija. With your support, we are poised to make an even bigger impact in the second half of 2025.