Eco-hero & Founder of Joseph Recycling initiative

I am most proud of being able to pay for 24 children to go to school. They can learn to read and write and understand the problems about plastic in Indonesia.
Tell us your story – how did you get here?
When I was ten during Covid I was playing with my local friends and fishing with them. I saw them collecting cables and other things that could be recycled. We went to sell them at the dump. They gave the money to their parents to buy food and some we kept for snacks. It was the first time I knew that you could get money for recycling. Someone told my Dad and he said to me it was better to make a big recycling project so I can help more children to go to school. So that is what I did – I designed the bins with my Dad, and my Mum helped me run an Instagram account. Now, I have a team of three people who help drive, sort and recycle the waste. I also make keyrings and other things from plastic to sell at La Brisa Sunday Market.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of being able to pay for 24 children to go to school. They can learn to read and write and understand the problems about plastic in Indonesia.
What impact have you made in Bali?
I think a lot more people know about the plastic problem from my project, and my project teaches 20 children English and environmental studies every week. I now have 113 members and all of their recyclables are being recycled and not sent to landfill. I have given full-time jobs to three local people and I have shown people how to turn HDPE plastic into keyrings.
What does the future look like for you?
I am going to grow my project and maybe start a project in Java where my family lives. I want to make bigger things to use more of the plastic that comes to my storage. My goal for next year is to send 50 children to school for a year. When my project is big enough, I want to build a local school and children can come for free and pay with plastic. That means everyone can come!
What do you love most about Bali?
I like the freedom I have in Bali. I can go places on my bike and I can try a lot of new things. Some people are really clever and they show me how to make things.
What does being sustainable mean to you?
Sustainability means only taking what you need.
Who is your Local Legend and why?
My local legend is Ketut Lelut Cellelut because he recycles food waste from lots of warung and restaurants to feed his pigs.