Saving the Planet, One Pop-Up Market at a Time
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rom beautiful textiles to woven baskets to handmade pottery, it’s no secret that Lombok is recognized for its creative handicrafts. But now, thanks to the sustainability-focused, pop-up event known as Lombok Eco Flea Market (LEFM), Lombok is on track to become the leading “Eco-Craft” destination in Indonesia.
My Lombok Magazine recently talked with Lombok Eco Flea Market founder, Paula Huerta Andrés, and co-organizers, Danica Badovinac, Panca Adi Saputra and Elissa Gjertson, to learn about the LEFM vision and, most of all, about their goal to help Lombok become the most sustainable island in the archipelago.
What is the Lombok Eco Flea Market? Paula: In 2019, the Lombok Eco Flea Market (LEFM) began as a 2-day, pop-up market in Kuta with a dozen or so ecofriendly product lines. Today, LEFM markets are held all over the island with over 35 vendors representing the best of Lombok’s sustainable and creative artisans, makers and farmers. With products ranging from recycled goods, organic textiles and items made from renewables like coconut, bamboo and rattan to fresh fruits and vegetables, local coffee, vegan foods, natural soaps and more, the LEFM goal is to promote Lombok makers who offer sustainable products that align with the Circular Economy. We hear about that a lot lately – what exactly is the “Circular Economy”? Panca: The “Circular Economy” is the simple concept of changing a product’s lifecycle and resource usage from “take, make, waste” to a renewable, “circular” process
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of “reuse, repair, recycle.” It’s just one of the six guiding principles that all LEFM participants adhere to – and a core component of our overall mission to create a more sustainable Lombok. So, this is a movement that goes beyond just a market? Elissa: Definitely. We see LEFM as a platform to help clean up our environment, to educate consumers on ways to recycle waste and to preserve traditional Lombok crafts that were always sustainable. Or, put another way, before single-use plastic arrived, Lombok had always been a “circular” island. People used banana leaves or bamboo for packaging. People created pottery from organic clay. People weaved fabrics and baskets from natural fibers. Now, even as tourism hasn’t yet reached the levels of other islands, we’re already starting to drown under mismanaged waste while traditional crafts are dwindling. Our movement is to create opportunities for sustainable makers to lead the way in changing the waste culture before it gets even more out of hand – and to celebrate the best of Lombok artistic creativity along the way. What do you mean by “changing the waste culture?” Paula: Both locals and expats alike have seen how tourism has literally changed the environment across Indonesia, and not always for the better. As the island of Lombok grows in popularity, we want to help create sustainable solutions so tourism is a benefit, instead of something that does irreparable harm to beaches, villages and land. LEFM vendors stand by this mission and are excited to have a community of other like-minded individuals who want to create the most sustainable “Eco-Craft” destination across all of Indonesia.
