SIRKUL

Inspiration

Our inspiration came from the waste crisis surrounding Bantar Gebang, one of the largest landfill sites serving Jakarta.

According to a 2026 report by The Guardian, waste pickers working at Bantar Gebang can earn only around IDR 100,000–200,000 per day despite working in dangerous conditions. One of the workers featured in the report, Andi, expressed a fear that the landfill might eventually close because he would have no other way to support his family. The Guardian — Jakarta's Bantar Gebang landfill

At the same time, around 90% of Jakarta's waste is sent to Bantar Gebang, putting enormous pressure on the landfill and the people who depend on it. Jakarta Environmental Agency — KLHS 2025–2029. This made us ask : What if recyclable waste could create value before reaching the landfill, while giving waste collectors better economic opportunities?

What it does

SIRKUL is a platform that connects waste Collectors with Sellers who need recyclable materials.

Instead of recyclable materials ending up at the landfill, SIRKUL creates a digital connection between the people who collect them and the people who can reuse or purchase them. Collectors can manage the materials they collect, track their activities, and find opportunities to sell them. Sellers can discover available recyclable materials and find resources that match their needs.

Our goal is to make recyclable materials more visible, accessible, and valuable before they become landfill waste, while helping waste collectors gain better economic opportunities.

How we built it

Our technology stack includes: HTML, Tailwind CSS, Firebase, and JavaScript for the responsive and interactive frontend. A role-based system that separates Collectors and Sellers, allowing each user to access features relevant to their role.

We designed the platform around a simple flow: Collect → List → Discover → Trade → Reuse This allows recyclable materials to move through a digital marketplace instead of immediately becoming part of the landfill stream.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was not simply building the platform, but deciding how technology could realistically fit into the existing waste ecosystem. Collectors and Sellers have very different needs. Collectors need simple tools to manage their materials and find buyers, while Sellers need an efficient way to discover materials they can use. We also had to balance functionality with simplicity. We didn't want SIRKUL to become another complicated platform that creates a barrier for users.

Another challenge was designing for a mobile-first experience, since accessibility is especially important when building a platform intended for people who may spend most of their working day outside traditional office environments.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of turning the waste crisis at Bantar Gebang into a practical digital solution. SIRKUL creates a connection between waste pickers and sellers, making recyclable waste easier to trade while helping waste pickers find better income opportunities.

What we learned

SIRKUL taught us that environmental problems are rarely just environmental problems. Behind the amount of waste entering a landfill are people, livelihoods, communities, and economic systems. We learned that technology should not simply automate an existing process. It should help make that process more accessible, transparent, and valuable for the people involved. We also learned the importance of designing around real users. A technically advanced solution means very little if the people it is designed for cannot easily understand or use it.

What's next for SIRKUL

Next, we plan to expand SIRKUL to more waste collection areas, onboard more waste pickers and sellers, and improve the marketplace with better price tracking, logistics, and transaction features. Our goal is to make SIRKUL a scalable platform for Indonesia's recycling ecosystem.

Built With

• firebase
• html
• javascript
• tailwind