built from recycled materials, 'ijen' is indonesia's first zero-waste restaurant

designed by potato head’s in-house design team, ‘ijen’ is the first restaurant in indonesia to follow a zero-waste philosophy. the new concept, located inside the potato head beach club in bali, is a leading example of their aim to become a circular brand with absolute minimal impact on the earth. the restaurant proudly serves fresh fish caught locally using a hand-reeling process, in an open-air environment built from recycled materials.

all images courtesy of potato head

the design incorporates details such as menus printed on sustainably harvested paper bound to boards made from recycled truck tyres provided by local flip-flop brand, indosole; furniture that makes use of motorcycle foam offcuts and ethically sourced mersawa wood. the terrazzo-style dining room floor is poured from a mix of cement, broken plates and chipped drinking glasses and the glass candles are made from cut-off wine bottles which burn wax created from potato head’s own used cooking oil.

the restaurant interior showing the floor and furniture made from recycled materials

in addition to materials and cooking techniques that reduce the environmental footprint, ‘ijen’ meticulously separates organic and inorganic waste into five different bins. food remnants are fed to pigs at local farms or composted at their own site, shellfish shucks are powdered and used in animal feed or fertilizer, and all dry goods are entirely recycled by the island’s responsible waste management service, ecobali. overall, the design of ‘ijen’ restaurant makes a bold statement in support of sustainable design and zero-waste philosophy.

the terrazzo-style dining room floor poured from a mix of cement, broken plates and chipped drinking glasses

menus printed on sustainably harvested paper bound to boards made from recycled truck tyres provided by local flip-flop brand, indosole

terrazzo plates made with broken beer bottles

glass candles made from cut-off wine bottles which burn bio-wax created from potato head’s own used cooking oil

deadstock cloth napkins that have been newly tinted at bali’s natural dye house, tarum

plastic bottle caps are shredded and turned into colorful chopsticks

motorcycle foam offcuts are combined to create a patterned cushioning

wood-fired smoky prawn skewers keep the menu simple and fresh

all fish is caught daily and locally using a hand-reeling process

project info:

project name: ijen 

client: potato head beach club

designer: potato head’s in-house design team

location: potato head beach club, bali, indonesia

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom