Indonesia's 'Trash Library': Plastic rubbish for books

On the Indonesian island of Java, one librarian has started a mobile library, lending books to children in exchange for plastic rubbish. The idea is that they will learn to take pride in their environment and read more at the same time. By Julie Huehnken

  • Reden Roro Hendarti sorts her book collection
    A modest initiative achieves great things: every weekday, Reden Roro Hendarti loads her tricycle with reading material and rides to the village of Muntang to accept rubbish from the children living there, which she exchanges for her books. A simple idea that is making a big difference, raising awareness about the environment among children in the region. Indonesia still has a huge problem with plastic waste, especially in remote rural regions
  • Children stand in line to borrow books
    Swap shop: as soon as she appears, there is a big rush. Many children are already waiting for her and queue up to get their hands on one of the treasured books. They are exchanged for plastic cups, bags and other rubbish that Reden collects on her tricycle before it is sorted by her colleagues and taken to be recycled or sold
  • Reden weighs the plastic rubbish she has collected from the children
    Kilos of plastic waste: Reden collects around 100 kilogrammes of rubbish every week. "Taking care of our waste is one of the ways we can fight climate change and save the planet," says Reden. The founder of the "Trash Library" weighs the collected rubbish daily to keep track and document how much has accumulated over the months
  • Children sit and read together
    Browsing together: the idea behind the small mobile library is well received by the children. "When there is too much rubbish, our environment becomes dirtier and dirtier and that is not healthy. Collecting the rubbish also means we can borrow books," the children say, and continue sitting together browsing, long after the end of school
  • Children sit in front of computers
    Books instead of devices: Reden Roro Hendarti is not only happy to get children reading more, she is also managing to cut the time they spend playing online games. "Let's build an educational culture from a young age to mitigate the damage of the online world," she says. The COVID pandemic has only increased the problem of online gaming addiction among children, she adds
  • Reden Roro Hendarti drives along the road on her tricycle
    On a special mission: due to the pandemic, many schools in Indonesia have remained closed for long periods of time – with serious consequences. According to a report by the World Bank, more than 80 percent of young people in Indonesia are in danger of failing to meet the OECD minimum standards in learning to read. With her tricycle, on which she transports up to 6,000 books a day, Reden Rodo Hendarti aims to do the little she can to help