22
‘We have an empty hall
– want to use it?’
‘I’m the best example of east meets west,’
says French entrepreneur Max Craipeau of
Greencore Resources. In 2017 he launched a
plastics recycling facility near Surabaya, known
as Indonesia’s plastics hub.
THE YOUNG ONES
What’s more, Indonesia has a very
young population. More than half of its
280 million people are under the age
of 30. Indonesia is expected to be the
third largest contributor to the middle-
class over the next decade, after only
China and India. ‘Obviously, this offers
great opportunities for businesses,
including recycling,’ says Craipeau,
who has lived in Southeast Asia for 18
years and is currently based in
Singapore.
In 2017, Craipeau came to Surabaya to
meet a business friend. ‘At that time I
primarily focused on plastic scrap trad-
ing but I had serious plans to start my
own plant and operation. So I asked
my friend which country he would
advise: Malaysia or Vietnam? He said:
“Max, why not Indonesia. Next door is
Indonesia is a forgotten gem, especial-
ly among recyclers, Max Craipeau
maintains during a 45 minute taxi ride
from the historic Oranje hotel in the
centre of Surabaya to an industrial site
west of this fast growing city. ‘Investors
may be looking at this country but
many are still unaware of the size and
the potential of its economy.’
Indonesia’s GDP will hit US$ 1.4 trillion
in 2023, the International Monetary
Fund predicts. According to Reuters,
the country is witnessing the strongest
economic growth in a decade, fuelled
by revived spending from the lifting of
pandemic restrictions and a global
commodity boom sending exports to a
record high.
A U T H O R / P H O T O S Martijn Reintjes
20- Litre water
tanks used in
Indonesian
households
and offices
form a big part
of the materi-
als handled.
Max Craipeau: ‘In Indonesia chemical recycling is the future for hard-to-
recycle, multi-layer household plastics.’
22-23-24_countryreport-deel2.indd 22 15-03-2023 11:42
