Feeding Two Birds with One Scone: Agus’ Idea for a Greener Workplace

Sometimes, a good starts with something others throw away. At an automotive manufacturing site in West Java, Agus, our foreman colleague, found a way to reuse plastic cups and grow more plants for the site.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the Facility Management (FM) industry, particularly in cleaning services, Agus now leads around 200 team members across 12 customer buildings. Over the years, he has learnt to spot everyday challenges and find practical ways to address them.

Two problems, one practical solution

At our customer site, Agus noticed discarded plastic cups left behind by construction workers piling up. He also felt that the project area was hot and dry and could benefit from more greenery.

He decided to tackle both issues by turning the discarded plastic cups into pots for seedlings. He used soil from the site, collected rice husks free of charge from a nearby rice mill and grew new plants from stem cuttings. By reusing plastic cups instead of buying polybags, Agus managed to reduce plastic waste and grow more plants for the site at the same time − feeding two birds with one scone.

In just two weeks, he had grown 170 seedlings cross six varieties of colourful ornamental plants. The seedlings will be used for future landscaping, helping to make a better use of available resources and keep planting costs down.

Growing a greener workplace

Agus hopes the plants will make the site a more pleasant place for colleagues and customers. His initiative gives discarded cups a second use while providing more plants for the site.

Agus puts this belief into practice by looking for ways to improve his surroundings. His approach reflects the OCS value of Respect through the care he shows for the environment and the people around him. For Agus, respect means more than recognising what needs to change. It means taking action to make that change happen.

Agus received recognition in the Respect category of the OCS Indonesia TRUE Star Programme for his initiative. The appreciation remind that everyone has an opportunity to make a positive difference, regardless of their role.

Agus’s story shows how experience can reveal problems and strengthen personal responsibility. Yet determination turns awareness into meaningful action. By making better use of available resources, he demonstrates how a practical idea can create value, make the workplace greener and support a more sustainable future.