Indonesia-based eco-startup Octopus has created a post-consumer waste ecosystem that makes recycling easy, while monetising the sale of used products and packaging.
The service is powered by the Octopus app and a network of gig economy workers, referred to as pelestari, who collect recyclable goods and waste from consumers’ doorsteps.
To have their recyclables collected, consumers must first separate their waste into different types (plastic, glass etc) before booking a slot on the Octopus app, where they must declare the type and volume of their recycling. The pelestari identify any items that could be sold to resellers and ensure that everything else is delivered to Octopus’ recycling partners.
In many parts of the world people trawl through commercial refuse sites to find valuable waste that they can sell, while exposing themselves to contaminants and hazardous materials. Through the use of pelestaris, which means conservationalist, Octopus aims to formalise this pursuit with a safer job that offers verifiable employment. The pelestaris take a cut of the fee raised by the recycled materials, and Octopus is hoping to employ 100,000 by 2024.
In addition to making money from the resale and recycling of the collected items, Octopus also works with brands to help them collect data and hit their recycling targets. At launch it is working with Kimberly-Clark brand Softex to collect and recycle its nappies, and with Danone, which is attempting to increase the collection rate of its PET bottles. In each instance the Ocotpus app is used to collect data about the recycling of the specific products.
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