Febriarti Khairunnisa: Tackling Waste Challenges and Driving Circular Economy Growth in NTB
The urgent waste crisis affecting several areas in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) prompted Febriarti Khairunnisa to leave her job as an English teacher and establish 'Bintang Sejahtera' in 2010, a social enterprise built on the waste bank business model.
As she grew Bintang Sejahtera, Febri took part in the Australia Awards Short Course on Tackling Marine Pollution Issues Through Recycling, delivered by Griffith University in 2019. The opportunity also led Febri to successfully secure an Alumni Grant Scheme (AGS) in 2020. Her project, 'Sampahku Sumberdayaku' (My Waste, My Resource), focused on raising public awareness of responsible waste management through social marketing initiatives across five villages in West Lombok.
“Participating in the Short Course also opened my eyes to just how complex the waste issue really is. There are so many micro and macro factors at play, from community awareness and infrastructure to government regulation,” Febri reflected.
Febri went on to apply for an Australia Awards Scholarship and graduated from a Masters of Environment and Sustainability from Monash University in 2023.
Marketplace Designed Only for Resource Recovery
Two years after completing her Masters degree at Monash University, Febriarti Khairunnisa returned to Australia in 2025 to pursue a PhD at the School of Business Law and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology.
The decision to continue on to a PhD was actually made while she was still undertaking her Masters studies at Monash. During her time in Melbourne, Febri and her husband actively built connections with academics from several Australian universities and took part in a range of community activities.
“In my third semester at Monash, we had discussions with several Indonesian diaspora academics teaching at Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University, and the University of Melbourne. From these meetings, I received offers to consider doctoral studies, and eventually I was introduced to Dr Chamindika Weerakoon, who is now my supervisor,” Febri explained.
“We identified a gap in the lack of technological interventions and market-based instruments to support the circular economy in Indonesia. From there, the idea emerged to develop an online marketplace platform focused on resource recovery,” she added.
Her research idea and proposal were well received, and Febri was awarded a PhD scholarship from Swinburne University of Technology.
The platform she is now developing aims to connect all actors across the waste management and processing supply chain, enabling transactions for both organic and non-organic waste.
By late 2024, Febri had already facilitated a meeting between her supervisor and the Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to discuss plans for trialling the platform. The provincial government expressed strong support, offering access to data, potential application users, assistance with the trial process.
Learning Resilience and Why GEDSI Matters
Since its establishment in 2010, Bintang Sejahtera has created employment opportunities for 550 people and recycled more than 1,288 tonnes of waste by 2025.
Febri continues to actively draw on the networks she built during her studies in Australia. Most recently, she participated in the Indo-Pacific Plastic Innovation Network (IPPIN) program, delivered by CSIRO in May–June 2025. Through IPPIN, Febri enrolled Bintang Sejahtera in the incubator program.
“We received technical assistance to further develop and refine our new waste handling services business model,” she explained.
“I see myself as a lifelong learner. The drive to keep learning and adapting is crucial because life is always changing. Especially in the waste management sector, the challenges are highly complex, full of uncertainty, and have significant impacts on human life. My goal is to continue growing Bintang Sejahtera into a sustainable social enterprise that creates lasting benefits for the community,” Febri concluded.
