Challenge

In Batam, the same communities facing plastic-choked waterways may also live beneath ageing asbestos roofs.

The Indonesian city of Batam generates an estimated 900 to 1,000 tonnes of waste every day, around one fifth of it plastic. In coastal areas such as Tanjung Uma, more than 9,000 households lack formal waste collection, allowing discarded material to accumulate and leak into the ocean. Community members that are most vulnerable to this waste often also rely on aging asbestos roofing due to their low cost, exposing them to severe health risks.

Collecting that plastic solves only part of the waste problem. Low-density polyethylene, or LDPE, has limited local value, making it difficult to keep in circulation. Seven Clean Seas saw a way for one unwanted material to replace another.

Solution

Seven Clean Seas began developing recycled roof tiles in 2024 using LDPE recovered through its plastic collection operations in Batam.

The plastic is cleaned, processed and manufactured locally into tiles designed to withstand heat, impact and fire. Independent testing by SUCOFINDO assessed the material against international performance benchmarks.

The tiles are then installed on homes where deteriorating asbestos roofing needs to be replaced. By keeping collection, production and installation within the same community, the model gives recovered plastic a local destination and creates jobs in the manufacturing and installation of these tiles within these vulnerable communities.

Seven Clean Seas has made the choice not to patent the product, allowing others to replicate an idea intended to improve both environmental and human health.

For now, the roofs are funded through corporate and philanthropic partners rather than sold to households. The wider system is supported by verified plastic credits, priced at approximately US$2 for every kilogram recovered. Manufacturing costs around IDR 61,400, or US$3.63, per tile, creating a potential path towards future commercial sales as production grows.