Honest Made Story

We envision a world where remote communities have access to waste management and those most affected are part of the solution.

Our Story

A Community-Driven Recycling Mission

Since 2024, we’ve been working to rewrite the story of plastic waste in Lombok, Indonesia. With no recycling system in place, communities have been left to dump, burn or bury single-use plastics, forced to shoulder the burden without the tools, resources or support to protect their future. This failure became the starting point for co-founders Tom Jackson and Lachie Armstrong. Tom had spent years working in Indonesia’s waste sector, witnessing where systems broke down and who was left behind. Lachie, a trained carpenter, brought a hands-on, solutions-focused mindset grounded in scale and practicality. Together, they shared a belief that real progress starts with the right infrastructure and communities at the centre. Honest was founded on that principle, with the understanding that lasting change begins from within.

Today, we’re proud to operate Lombok’s first recycling and manufacturing centre—collecting, sorting and transforming plastic waste into products, creating jobs and cutting pollution at its source. It’s a working blueprint, designed to scale across Southeast Asia and show what’s possible when local action leads.

Honest Factory Grand Opening

Honest Made officially launched in April 2025 with the support of local leaders and hundreds from the community. The celebration marked the beginning of our mission, raising funds for early projects and introducing plastic collection services for homes and businesses across Kuta, Lombok.

THE HONEST MISSION

We’re on a mission to build waste-to-value systems for people on remote coastal islands without access to waste management, working with those who live with the problem every day to create better livelihoods and lasting impact.

OUR VALUES

Driven by Purpose, Grounded in Values

Honest

No greenwashing

Community

Built with and for the community

Power in People

Change starts on the ground

Waste has Worth

No greenwashing

Think Ahead

Long-term wins over quick fixes.

Do the Work

Less talk. More doing.

IMPACT PARTNERS

Creating Change Together

Classroom of Hope

Classroom of Hope builds earthquake-resistant schools in North Lombok using recycled plastic bricks. In 2025, we joined forces to pilot our first classroom furnished with recycled plastic desks and chairs.

Yanmu School, Praya

Yanmu is one of our plastic partners. We welcomed 300 students to our factory, taught them about plastic and recycling, and launched a student-led “Waste Warriors” program to sort and collect plastic at their school.

TOPIKU, Recycled Hats

TOPIKU is a Jakarta-based brand making sustainable hats from up-cycled materials. We’re proud partners thanks to their donation of 100 hats, our ground staff have the gear they need to do their jobs safely.

Meet the Honest Team

  • Lachie Armstrong
    Lachie Armstrong
    Co-Founder
  • Tom Jackson
    Tom Jackson
    Co-Founder
  • Putra
    Putra
    Operations manager
  • Laura
    Laura
    Logistics advisor
  • Jihan
    Jihan
    Lead furniture designer
  • Ari
    Ari
    Lead furniture manufacturer
  • Evelyn
    Evelyn
    Community & program advisor
  • Herman
    Herman
    Machine operator
  • Coky
    Coky
    Machine operator
  • Heri
    Heri
    Maitenance
  • Setyo
    Setyo
    Machine builder
  • Erna
    Erna
    Plastic sorter
  • Dodi
    Dodi
    Plastic sorter
  • Irwan
    Irwan
    Assistant furniture maker
  • Tony
    Tony
    Assistant furniture maker