Pomelo Operator KCG Collects 231 Kilos of Garments in Indonesian Take-Back Push

PT Kurnia Ciptamoda Gemilang collected 231 kilograms of used clothing across eight Pomelo stores in Indonesia during the first month of its in-store take-back programme.

The haul more than doubled the retailer’s initial 100-kilogram target despite launching without promotional marketing.

KCG installed drop-off boxes in every Indonesian Pomelo branch to collect apparel directly from shoppers. Wearable items go to the Cinta Laura Foundation for distribution to orphanages and local communities. Unwearable, damaged pieces head to domestic textile recyclers Lestari and New Factory for industrial processing.

Haryanto Pratantara, business and operations director at KCG, said the intake relies on repeat donors seeking practical reuse for old apparel. Turning ruined garments into usable raw material carries high processing costs that the company cannot sustain alone. KCG is seeking corporate social responsibility funding and state backing to expand the processing chain.

High Processing Costs and Policy Gaps

Pratantara expects garment recycling to shift from a competitive differentiator to standard retail practice within five years. Government policy will dictate how fast that transition happens.

“The key is the government,” Pratantara said. “Regulation cuts the timeline. Without it, this cannot work.”

Fashion operators across Southeast Asia frequently launch circularity pilots to retain younger shoppers, but few manage to scale mechanical recycling without state subsidies or formal producer responsibility rules. While donation bins clear closet space and bring foot traffic back into stores, true fibre-to-fibre recycling remains bottlenecked by local sorting and processing infrastructure across the region.

Expanding Beyond Store Bins

KCG has not yet measured the direct revenue impact of the programme on overall apparel sales. The operator is now tracking repeat drop-offs while waiting for state policy clarity and corporate partners to fund the next stage of textile processing.