Garbage Recycler at Work

A middleman collector sorting out garbage for recycling in his small workshop in West Bandung.

Unlike in developed countries, garbage recycling is a labor extensive business in Bandung and in Indonesia in general. Recyclable garbage -- that with plastic, metal, or glass components -- is collected from homes or the streets by traveling scavengers. These scavengers typically sell their 'harvest' to a middleman who then sell them to a wholesale collectors. These wholesale collectors do the sorting, cleaning, and packaging before selling it to the recycling factories.

The government is not involved in the process. Everything is done by individuals and private entrepreneurs. Garbage recycling is a big business that provides a source of income to many who are involved.