We are Somara and Corina, two journalists from Zurich. In August 2019 we want to produce our first documentary film in Indonesia. It is a story about plastic and machines, the ocean and hope.

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Successfully concluded on 9/6/2019

Help us make our first documentary!

Plastic is everywhere. But plastic is bad. Plastic makes nothing but problems. Or not? On the island of Banda Naira in Indonesia, people have found a different way to deal with the excess plastic. They convert plastic waste into gasoline and diesel and can thus benefit from it. That sounds like a fairy tale? How is that possible? In our documentary we accompany the process and report whether this model has future potential and perhaps can even save the world’s oceans!

  • Banda Naira is the main island with 8'000 inhabitants.
    Banda Naira is the main island with 8'000 inhabitants.
  • The Banda Islands, an 11-part archipelago in Indonesia
    The Banda Islands, an 11-part archipelago in Indonesia

What kind of machine is this exactly?

On the small island of Banda Naira in Indonesia, a recycling machine will be put into operation in 2019. It produces petrol and diesel from plastic. 5 l petrol, 2 l diesel and 1.5 l kerosine-like fabric can be produced from 10 kg plastic. Banda Naira is the first island in Indonesia to use this relatively unknown technology.

  • This is how the recycling machine will look like.
    This is how the recycling machine will look like.
  • The recycling machine produces petrol, diesel and kerosene.
    The recycling machine produces petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Questions we want to get to the bottom of

How does the plane get to Banda Naira? What is the technology behind the machine? What are the advantages of the machine for the islanders? Can the recycling machine transform the problem of plastic waste into a closed circuit? Would this be a suitable model for other regions? Will it be possible in the future to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean? Why is this technology not more widespread?

Banda Naira didn't have an official waste disposal system until 2012. Source: @bandasea
Banda Naira didn't have an official waste disposal system until 2012. Source: @bandasea