Plasticman - We salute you!!!

Based just out of town in Labuan Bajo, near to the airport, is a pretty special place with big ambitions. This is the home of Plastic Man. Plastic Man aka Stefan and his group of tireless supporters are on a crusade to rid Labuan Bajo of plastics and other rubbish and to teach the message of recycling to all that they can.


Wicked joined up with Plastic Man recently, and local charity Support International, as we wanted to get a better feel of what they do and how we can help. 7 interns from the local tourism school and instructor Jo headed over on Plastic Man’s own unique method of transportation – a little pick-up truck, complete with sound system and speakers.


When we got to the waste bank, Stefan gave all of our interns a talk about how and why they are recycling. We all learned about how the rubbish is separated, where it goes and who provides it. We then split into two teams and got to work. One team began by separating the rubbish and preparing it for shipment to Surabaya in Java. The second team picked up spades and rakes and started digging the land around the waste bank.


In addition to providing recycling services, the goal of the waste bank is to provide a model of self sufficient farming for local people to come and visit. The ground is being prepared for vegetable planting, a well has been dug, Marley the goat is the first of the animals to join the farm and there will even be a reading garden where families can come and read books at their leisure in a place where reading resources are often hard to come by and to afford for lower income families.


Stefan and Support International have some great plans to take their project further and at present the majority of the work is done by volunteers, some international and some from Labaun Bajo. For any visitors to Labuan Bajo who want to get involved and help out Plastic Man, Support International and their various projects, there are lots of opportunities, be it for one day or one week.


We are grateful that there are passionate people out there who believe in protecting the beauty of their country and we’re lucky to be in the position to be able to help educate the younger generation about waste management. Hopefully a little bit of the passion and selflessness will rub off and we’ll be able to see the change far and wide.


-Wicked Diving Komodo