Lasiana, Undana launch community waste bank in Kupang

Kupang — The Lasiana village administration in Kupang and Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana) have launched the Lasiana Eco Resort waste-bank unit as a community initiative to manage household waste and develop a new local economic opportunity, according to local media reports published on 19 September 2026.

The unit was inaugurated by Daud Nafi, the Kupang city government’s adviser on economic and development affairs, who represented the municipality at the launch. Ebit Robinson, identified as coordinator of the waste bank, said the program is designed to involve residents in collecting and sorting waste while also supporting household food production through urban farming.

According to the report, Undana’s involvement includes developing a digital application and providing guidance on urban farming practices for local households. The stated aim is to help residents reduce routine expenses, including spending on basic cooking ingredients, by growing more food at home.

Robinson said the community group has an internal structure that includes a coordinator and divisions for public education, waste sorting and finance. He called on the Kupang city government to provide waste bins and an operational vehicle to support the waste-bank activities.

Linking waste management and tourism

The organizers indicated that the initiative could eventually extend to the coastal area around Lasiana, a well-known beach destination for residents and visitors. Robinson said the waste bank and the local tourism-awareness group, or kelompok sadar wisata (Pokdarwis), could work together so that visitors might pay an entrance ticket using sorted waste instead of cash.

The reported idea suggests a potential integration of community waste management with tourism activity at or near Lasiana Beach, which has been the focus of previous proposals to involve local government, communities and private parties in managing the site. However, the current report describes the waste-for-entry system as a future possibility and does not state that such a payment mechanism has already been implemented.

The initiative has received support from existing waste banks Mutiara Timor and Muara Abu, which operate in other parts of Kupang. Mutiara Timor functions as an umbrella waste bank serving multiple units across the city, while Muara Abu in Oesapa Barat has expanded rapidly since its establishment in 2024, increasing from eight to 45 customers and selling about two tonnes of plastic waste.

Lasiana village head Yohanes Keluli was quoted as saying that government agencies cannot manage waste issues alone and welcomed cooperation among the village administration, the university and the supporting waste-bank units. He expressed hope that the Lasiana waste bank could also contribute to managing the beach area.

Nixon Ramang, head of Undana’s LLKK technical unit, said the university intends to apply its academic work in communities rather than keeping it within campus boundaries. He described waste as a longstanding problem in Kupang and pointed to productive household gardens and urban farming as additional economic opportunities for residents.

Emerging community model

The launch positions the Lasiana Eco Resort waste bank as part of a broader local effort to combine waste management, household food production and potential coastal tourism management. The initiative is framed as a collaboration between the Lasiana village administration, Undana and community organizers, with support from established waste-bank networks in Kupang.

While the program’s longer-term income model and operational scale have not yet been detailed in public reports, the involvement of existing waste-bank institutions suggests that collected recyclable materials could be channelled into established waste trading and processing networks in the city. Further information on resident participation, financing and the proposed waste-for-entry mechanism at the beach is expected as the program develops.

Sources

• Tribunnews (Pos-Kupang.com content)
• Swara Timor
• Jurnal FKIP Universitas Mulawarman (case study on Bank Sampah Mutiara Timor)
• Repository Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira (thesis chapter on Lasiana Beach management)