Indonesian trash library: plastic in exchange for books

Reden Roro Hendarty, a librarian on the Indonesian island of Java, has opened a mobile library, giving out books to children in exchange for plastic waste. Her idea is for them to learn to care for the environment and read more at the same time, writes Julie Huncken.

Every weekday, Reden Roro Hendarty loads her three-wheeled moped with books and magazines and drives to the village of Muntang to collect plastic waste from the children living there, which she exchanges for books. This seems like a simple idea, but it goes a long way in helping to raise awareness of the environment among the children of the region. Plastic waste is a huge problem in Indonesia, especially in remote rural areas

As soon as Reden Roro Hendarty arrives, the hustle and bustle begins. Many children are already waiting for her and are lining up to get their hands on one of the cherished books. They exchange them for plastic cups, bags, and other similar rubbish . The librarian takes him away in his three-wheeled moped, while her colleagues sort and send him for recycling or sale.

Rehden collects about 100 kilograms of garbage every week. “Garbage collection is one way to fight climate change and save the planet,” she says. The founder of the “Garbage Library ” weighs her “booty” every day in order to track and document how much she managed to collect over all the months of the project.

The idea of ​​creating a small mobile library was well received by children. “When there is too much rubbish, our environment gets dirtier and dirtier, which is bad. By collecting trash, we can get books, ”they say.

Reden Roro Hendarty is pleased that thanks to the project, children not only read more, but spend less time playing video games . “Let’s create a culture of education from a young age to mitigate the damage done by the online world,” she says. The COVID pandemic has only exacerbated the problem of digital addiction among children, the librarian adds.

Due to the pandemic, many schools in Indonesia remained closed for a long time, with serious consequences. According to a World Bank report, more than 80% of young people in Indonesia are at risk of failing to meet the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s minimum standards in teaching to read. With the help of her three-wheeled moped, on which she transports up to 6,000 books a day, Reden Rodo Hendarti strives to do whatever it takes to turn the tide.

Islamosphere