Nothing Is Possible
And it’s all the brainchild of Indonesian entrepreneur Ronald Akili. His calling for change came back in 2016 when he was surfing with his son and found themselves padding in a “plastic ocean”. Surrounded by rubbish, it clicked for Akili as a father and as human that he had to do something about the situation. Being a business owner, he recognized it was imperative for him to become accountable and accept that his business was part of the problem. From that moment, he has been working tirelessly to pivot the purpose behind Potato Head and any future companies he creates.
With the help of some friends, he began to draw up a roadmap. That was six years ago. Since, Potato Head Bali has managed to reduce their landfill waste from 50 to less than five percent. In 2017, with support from the UN, they were able to offset carbon emissions and became the first hospitality company in the region to go carbon neutral. They have built a creative village by turning waste into modern architecture and beautiful, high-quality products. They have created a platform for grassroot communities and change makers to share their voice. By serving 1000 people everyday for six years, they’ve touched over two million people with their story of the possibilities of a sustainable lifestyle. Last but not least, they have shown people that Good Times can be had by Doing Good.
We got the opportunity to see this hard work ourselves, first at the exhibition in Singapore — which presented the art and design work created from waste — and then at the resort itself. Each chapter of our travels alongside Potato Head was important, unique and hopeful. Not only were we able to understand that sustainability isn’t simply a sentiment for idealists, it’s both possible and a path to beautiful art and awe-inspiring experiences.
