The New Factory (TNF) has taken a significant step in preparing for the upcoming year by organizing a cooperative workshop aimed at reinforcing and aligning the understanding of democratic governance among its members. The initiative, carried out proactively, also served as a preliminary onboarding session for the new worker-members who recently joined the cooperative.

During the workshop, the fundamental principles of cooperatives and worker cooperatives were explored, key concepts to strengthen collaboration and empowerment within the organization. "Our goal is to create a collaborative environment that supports the progress of the project, grounded in the shared values that will guide our long-term sustainability vision," said Alain Bunjamin, representative of TNF.
 

The workshop culminated in the development of a set of Terms of Work agreed upon by the cooperative's members, which will govern TNF's daily operations. This document outlines rules regarding working hours, leave policies, workplace conditions, and safety standards, ensuring fairness and transparency in all cooperative activities.

 

Milestone 1: Feasibility Study to Chart Pathways for Worker-led Circularity

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With this internal groundwork laid, The New Factory launched its first major milestone: a feasibility study to explore how a cooperative model could be applied to textile waste recycling in Bandung. Supported by Democracy at Work and in collaboration with Fashion Revolution Indonesia, the study engaged over 40 stakeholders across Indonesia and Europe, including recyclers, cooperative experts, and circular economy enablers. Insights were drawn from advanced ecosystems such as the Mondragon Federation, Humana Spain, Prato’s Lottozero, and Indonesia’s own Textile Innovation Agency (Balai Besar Tekstil) - amongst others. Collaboration with a design lab with a focus on waste management, Kota Tanpa Sampah (City with No Waste), was also pursued to help flesh out further local challenges and opportunities in setting up such an ecosystem.   

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Through this multi-stakeholder mapping process, the feasibility study helped The New Factory evaluate which cooperative business models were most appropriate, what technologies would be required, and how the approach could remain financially viable at the micro/small enterprise level. 

 

Two interim yet promising directions emerged from this process. The first was for The Cooperative to establish a textile waste collection and sorting infrastructure, which was ultimately ruled out due to prohibitively high capital requirement. The second - recycling residual textile waste into composite panels - offered financial and technical feasibility as well as market relevance, and was thus selected for further development in the next phase of the grant. 

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Milestone 2: Small-Scale Pilot - Advancing Early R&D on a New Material Innovation from Textile Waste

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Having identified textile waste to composite material production as the most viable pathway from the feasibility study, The New Factory moved into its second milestone: testing the concept through a small-scale pilot. This phase centers on the early-stage research and development of COPPO, a composite material made from residual/hard-to-recycle textile waste. Initial trials have focused on exploring basic production methods and evaluating material behavior, particularly for applications in the built environment. While these early results are encouraging, the R&D process is still ongoing.

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Many challenges still remain, including improving process reliability, achieving consistent fiber quality, experimenting with biodegradable binders, and ensuring the material meets environmental and safety standards. At the same time, The New Factory also needs to lay the groundwork for product prototyping, cooperative-friendly facility design, workers' training and reskilling as well as early-stage market testing.

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If successful, COPPO could serve as the foundation for The New Factory’s long-term vision: anchoring the growth of the worker cooperative and enabling a scalable, community-driven solution to textile waste in Bandung.

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About The New Factory (TNF)

The New Factory is a cooperative committed to creating sustainable textile recycling systems. Through collaboration, innovation, and a focus on the circular economy, The New Factory aims to transform the textile industry and promote practices that reduce environmental impact while supporting the well-being of its members and communities.