Turning Waste into Green Spaces: Rosmala’s Initiative to Brighten a School Environment

A clean and comfortable school does more than support the learning environment. It helps create a healthier space for students, teachers, and staff. At OCS Indonesia, our work in educational facilities goes beyond keeping tidy classrooms. We also help maintain school environments where people feel comfortable throughout the day.

That spirit inspired Rosmala, one of our cleaners at a private school in Makassar, South Sulawesi, to take simple action that gradually changed the appearance of the school grounds. What began as concern over broken plant pots grew into a small green initiative that brought new life to neglected corners of the school.

Discovering value in unused plastic waste

Rosmala has worked at the eight-storey school building, covering more than 12,000 square metres, for the past four years. Her responsibility is to maintain cleanliness on the seventh floor, an area used daily by senior high school students for daily learning activities.

As she carries out her routine tasks, she also pays close attention to her surroundings environment and looks for ways to improve it.

Her attention soon turned to the school garden, where several plant pots had started to crack and break. Some plants were no longer growing properly, and parts of the garden looked forgotten. At the same time, she understood that replacing every damaged pot would have required additional costs.

Instead of waiting for others to solve the problem, Rosmala searched for another solution. While checking the school storage area, she found unused items left behind after renovation work, including old mop buckets, water gallons, and plastic containers.

One by one, she cleaned, repurposed, and transformed these discarded items into plant pots.

A greener school and a shared harvest

The effort slowly changed the atmosphere around the school. Areas that once looked empty became greener and more organised. With her knowledge about recycling and circular economy, Rosmala’s recycled pots added character to the garden while reducing unnecessary waste.

She then began planting more than ornamental greenery and introduced edible plants such as water spinach, bitter melon, and eggplant, allowing teachers and her OCS colleagues to enjoy the harvest together. Several herbs, including lemongrass, ginger, and lime plants, were also planted to create a small herbal garden.

Beyond improving the school’s appearance, the initiative encouraged shared participation among colleagues. Team members started helping to care for the plants, while our customer responded positively.

Recognition and lasting impact

Through her creativity and consistency, Rosmala later received the Respect category in the TRUE Star programme. The recognition motivated her to continue learning and contributing new ideas.

With one practical idea and a strong sense of care, Rosmala has shown how small everyday actions can create lasting value for both people and the environment.