From Trash to Treasure: Finland Runs Plastic Brick Factory in Lombok

A plastic brick factory in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has begun operations to produce environmentally friendly bricks from plastic waste. The factory is located in the NTB Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) area in Banyumulek, West Lombok.

The factory is a result of an investment by Block Solutions Finland, a company that focuses on developing green industries in developing countries like Indonesia. The company spent 2.3 million euros or Rp 37 billion to build the factory, which started construction in 2022.

Block Solutions Indonesia Director Jimmy Hutasoit said the factory was the world’s first of its kind, using renewable technology to turn plastic waste into bricks. He said the factory could produce 8–9 tons of plastic bricks per day.

NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah said the factory would make NTB a model for other regions in recycling plastic waste and boosting the economy. “Operating this factory will reduce plastic waste, boost the economy, and in the future, the BRIDA area will become an industrial eco-tourism area in Indonesia,” Zulkieflimansyah said.