Together with Mahija Towards a Fair and Inclusive Circular Economy

Mahija is driven by a vision to create a responsible and sustainable circular economy, where waste workers are empowered and live with dignity.

For Mahija, improving the welfare of waste pickers is not just a matter of social justice—it is also a strategic step to strengthen national waste management. A truly effective circular economy can only be achieved when the people at the frontlines of recycling are protected and empowered.

The reality is that Indonesia faces enormous challenges in managing plastic waste. As the world’s second-largest plastic polluter, Indonesia produces around 6.8 million tons of plastic waste annually, yet only 10% is recycled. Behind this recycling chain are waste workers, particularly waste pickers, who form the backbone of the national waste management system.

Yet these workers often operate without protection, facing social stigma, limited access to healthcare and education, and inadequate occupational safety standards. In fact, the informal sector collects up to 1 million tons of waste every year, a contribution that is critical for the government’s 2025 targets of reducing waste by 30% and cutting marine plastic leakage by 70%.

Mahija works across all levels—from grassroots communities to national policy—ensuring that meaningful change takes place both in daily practices and within broader systems. To achieve this, Mahija creates meaningful spaces for collaboration with a wide range of partners, including the private sector, civil society organizations, government, and individuals who want to take part.

In 2024, Mahija partnered with The Circulate Initiative (TCI), a global nonprofit organization focused on tackling plastic pollution and building a fair circular economy in developing countries.

This collaboration is carried out to implement the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI) in Indonesia  based on the Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework for Recycled Plastics—the world’s first global framework to ensure that recycled plastics are sourced fairly and responsibly. 

Responsible sourcing is becoming increasingly important as global companies are now expected to ensure that the recycled plastics they use come from ethical and responsible practices. RSI provides clear, straightforward, and practical guidelines that companies can adopt, while also ensuring that workers in the recycling chain, including waste pickers, receive protection, fair wages, and are integrated into a more organized system.

Initial assessments revealed several fundamental barriers faced by informal waste workers that prevent them from achieving decent livelihoods. Many lack legal identification such as ID cards, making it difficult to access healthcare or secure education for their children. They also often work without adequate occupational health and safety standards, earn low wages along the supply chain, and continue to face stigma and social marginalization.

To address these issues, RSI Indonesia, with Mahija as the lead implementer, has taken several key actions, including:

• Facilitating access to social security and legal identification.
• Providing training and capacity building on occupational safety.
• Advocating for the official recognition of waste pickers within Indonesia’s national waste management system.

This collaboration marks an important step in building a truly inclusive circular economy. Waste pickers are gaining awareness of their rights and receiving better access to social services, healthcare, and education. Because ultimately, a good circular economy must begin with people.

By recognizing waste workers and pickers as agents of change, not just objects of the system, Mahija demonstrates that social justice and environmental sustainability can go hand in hand.