Introducing the Community Waste Project

Over the past several years, we have been on a journey towards zero waste, driven by our commitment to making a positive environmental impact through the art of good times.

Since 2017, we’ve transformed our operations at Desa Potato Head, achieving 97.5% zero waste to landfill. With the help of a community of forward-thinking designers, artists, and sustainability experts, we’ve not only created waste management solutions but also developed innovative ways to repurpose and recycle waste materials to create a closed-loop circular design system. Transforming the material commonly known as waste into functional objects and furniture to be used within our Desa.

Now, we’re ready to take this mission even further — taking our zero-waste approach Bali-wide with a community-driven effort. In collaboration with like-minded Bali-based businesses, we’re excited to launch the Community Waste Project: a facility where we collectively process, recycle, and reimagine waste as a valuable resource, starting one neighbourhood at a time.

Our Blueprint: Regeneration, Community, and Creativity

The Community Waste Project builds on our core values: regeneration, community, and creativity. For us, this means viewing waste not simply as a problem to be managed but as a catalyst for regenerative design that powers our culture.

At Potato Head, we believe there is no such thing as waste — only discarded material and unvalued resources. From recycled plastic furniture to art installations made from reclaimed materials, this shift in perspective has infused purpose into our core design approach. We've crafted in-room amenities from materials such as Styrofoam and oyster shells, showing that 'waste' can be transformed into something both beautiful and functional.

A Collaborative, Open-Sourced Approach

Going beyond traditional business practices, we are taking a hyper-local approach within our community, calling upon our neighbouring businesses to join forces within the zero-waste movement — with the Mexicola Group, Total Bangun Persada, Brunch Club, Finns, Kynd, Lemongrass, and Peppers Seminyak all joining the project. We've regenerated a 2,000-square-metre wasteland in Denpasar, near Bali’s largest landfill, into a facility where waste is processed sustainably with an open-sourced philosophy.

The Community Waste Project is open to everyone. We invite individuals, businesses, and communities to learn, engage, and contribute. Just as guests can see firsthand how our circular systems work through daily Follow the Waste tours at Desa Potato Head, they can now be part of the process at the Community Waste Project.

Through this centre, we’re transforming as much waste as possible into practical products for the hospitality industry. These products will be available to our collective members to support widespread circular practices. Because we’re committed to keeping this movement growing, all revenue generated will go directly back into the community as a non-profit — further fuelling the growth of waste facilities across Bali.

The Community Waste Project marks an exciting new chapter in our journey. Together, we’re paving the way for a more regenerative Bali — one where collaboration, community, and purpose come together to make lasting change.