Community-Driven Digital Platforms as Environmental Innovation: A Critical Analysis of MallSampah, Makassar

Abstract

This study examines MallSampah, a Makassar-based digital platform for waste collection and recycling, as a case of grassroots environmental innovation in South Sulawesi. The research is motivated by the persistent waste crisis in Makassar, where the Antang landfill receives 800 to 1,000  tons of waste daily, and by the need to critically assess whether community-driven digital solutions represent genuine systemic innovation or merely a small-scale palliative. Using a qualitative descriptive approach based on secondary data from media reports, government statements, and organizational publications, this study analyzes MallSampah through classical and contemporary innovation theories, including Schumpeter's creative destruction, Christensen's disruptive innovation, Chesbrough's open innovation, and the eco-innovation framework. The findings show that MallSampah introduces meaningful innovation at the level of incentive design, informal-sector formalization, and cross-disciplinary integration of law, technology, and behavioral economics. However, its processing volume of approximately 30 tons per month remains marginal against the city's daily waste output, its operations depend partly on philanthropic grants, and it has not yet been integrated with municipal waste infrastructure such as the planned waste-to-energy facility. The study concludes that MallSampah represents authentic but sub-systemic innovation, requiring stronger policy integration and scaling mechanisms to generate citywide impact.