Every day, thousands of waste pickers (a.k.a resource collectors) in Indonesia work tirelessly to keep our environment clean. They are the backbone of our recycling ecosystem, yet their work is often overlooked, undervalued, and underserved. At Sustainability for Resource Collector Initiative (SRCI), we believe that supporting these workers means supporting stronger, healthier communities.
This belief is shared by Niagara Cares, social impact partner of the Niagara Bottling, a US based beverage company committed to improving community well-being worldwide. Together, SRCI and Niagara Cares have launched a collaborative program designed to bring meaningful, long-term support to resource collectors across Indonesia.
Through this 12-month initiative, SRCI and Niagara Cares provide two key forms of social protection:
- Monthly grocery vouchers, helping families of the resource collectors to secure essential food items consistently.
- BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (Life and Work Accident Insurance), ensuring that resource collectors can work with greater security and peace of mind.
These benefits are more than just aid, but also as a recognition of the essential role resource collectors play in waste management and environmental sustainability.
With the support of Niagara Cares, the program has made meaningful progress across Jakarta, West Java, and Banten. To date, 1,356 resource collectors have joined the SuRCI program community, with 341 of them already receiving social benefit distributions, including monthly grocery vouchers and social protection coverage. Through their daily efforts, a total of 194,751 kilograms of plastic waste has been collected, tracked, and diverted from the environment. Behind these numbers are real people, families, and stories of resilience stories that continue to inspire us to expand our reach and deepen our impact.
Resource collectors face daily challenges, including inconsistent income, unsafe working conditions, and limited access to social protection. Yet, despite these realities, they continue to safeguard our cities and natural spaces by recovering materials that would otherwise pollute our oceans, rivers, and land. By offering practical support and reliable social safety nets, SuRCI and Niagara Cares seek to improve living standards, protect workers from unexpected hardships, and open pathways to greater financial and social inclusion. Most importantly, this work is about recognizing resource collectors as vital contributors to a cleaner, healthier planet—and ensuring their efforts are met with dignity, security, and respect.
The partnership between SuRCI and Niagara Cares is just the beginning. As we continue to grow, our mission remains clear which is to empower more resource collectors with the tools, protection, and opportunities they need to build a dignified, sustainable future.
