OUR STORY
Based in Selong Belanak, Lombok, and led by Elissa Gjertson (top center), the Plastik Kembali team consists of 30 talented artisans, makers & weavers from across Lombok.
The Plastik Kembali story started when Artistic Director, Elissa Gjertson (top center), moved to Selong Belanak, Lombok, Indonesia in 2018.
Upon experiencing beaches strewn with waste, rivers clogged with plastic, burning rubbish and more, she knew she wanted to make a difference.
With research, she discovered many artistic techniques for melting and forming recycled plastic and, in 2019, Plastik Kembali (PK) opened its first studio with some recycled plastic, a passion for art & design and – most of all – for making the world a better place.
Today, with a larger studio and an expanded team of local artisans, the PK goal is to bring recycled art to the world, offering new inspiration to the reality of plastic waste. And, as always, to clean up the community through meaningful opportunities for artistic expression and skill-building in the process.
But most of all, PK hopes to share its core mission with the world: Let’s give single-use plastics a second life … and our planet a second chance.
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
FRED ROGERS | TV Legend & Nice Guy
HOW WE INSPIRE & GIVE BACK
Members of the local Selong Belanak weaving team, the core artisan team of the Plastik Kembali Artist Collective.
building new skills & creating meaningful, local jobs
A core principle of Plastik Kembali is to create meaningful employment and learning opportunities for our community neighbors and local artisans — the majority of whom are women — elevating the level of PK product craftsmanship while creating sustainable jobs that offer fair pay, a joyful working environment and room for growth.
Since August 2020, Plastik Kembali has recycled the equivalent of more than 400,000 plastic bags and 3,500 kilograms of PP (Polypropylene) plastic.
cleaning up our beaches, rivers and villages + empowering trash banks
PK actively participates in an “inter-island supply chain” plastic program that supports local pick-ups, sorting and selling to local Trash Banks, who in turn sell to recycling centers on Java where PK sources most raw material (Polypropylene or PP Plastic).
The Plastik Kembali leadership team led the design and building project of Selong Belanak’s “Goby the Fish.”
volunteering with SBCA (Selong Belanak Community Association)
As active members of the SBCA, Plastik Kembali offers time & resources through beach clean-ups, marketing support and more. In 2020 PK led the build of our local “Goby” sculpture; in 2023, PK is helping lead the creation of our local “Waste Transfer Station” to create a new solution for waste disposal in South Lombok.
PK MANIFESTO
WHAT WE CARE ABOUT
The Plastik Kembali philosophy is simple: make art from waste while doing our part to make the world cleaner, healthier and even more beautiful. Every single day.
01.
Create new & useful value
Originally made from finite resources, single-use plastic has inherent value and can no longer be mindlessly discarded without a second, third or fourth product life. PK is committed to creating new, innovative uses for discarded plastic to add extended value to a material that often has a 100-1000 year lifespan on the planet.
02.
celebrate art & design
PK introduces a new way to transform and view rubbish as a unique material loaded with creative potential. By re-making something uniquely beautiful from plastic waste — literally, turning trash into treasure — PK is committed to leading a new dialogue in the plastic conversation with one-of-a-kind artwork.
03.
contribute a real solution
Developing nations often bear the brunt of the plastic waste epidemic. Currently, especially in Indonesia & other nations without proper waste infrastructure, many local residents burn rubbish for removal. A portion of PK profits is donated to the Selong Belanak Community Association for waste disposal or, even better, extended, circular use.
04.
collaborate & advocate
In tourism-rich areas like Indonesia, plastic pollution hits doubly-hard as communities must manage waste from both locals and visitors alike. PK is committed to advocating ongoing solutions, working with local & global organizations to find sustainable solutions for local waste management as well as educating tourists on how to leave a lighter footprint.