Corporate Social Responsibility as an Enabler of Urban Circular Social Innovation: The Eco Superstar Program in Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban communities face interconnected challenges related to livelihoods, waste management, social inclusion, and access to productive resources. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increasingly moved beyond short-term assistance toward approaches that seek to generate shared social, economic, and environmental value. This study examines the Eco Superstar Program implemented by PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Integrated Terminal Jakarta as a CSR-based social innovation initiative in Sunter Jaya, North Jakarta, Indonesia. The study aims to explore how CSR can enable the reconfiguration of community resources, relationships, and activities into an integrated urban circular system. A qualitative case study approach was employed, using program documentation, field observations, interviews, community-related records, and supporting secondary data. The findings indicate that the social innovation of Eco Superstar lies not primarily in the individual activities or technologies introduced, but in the way previously separate community actors and resources are connected through circular value creation. Food-processing activities, organic waste utilization, urban farming, environmentally responsible packaging, and environmental learning are linked to create relationships among production, resource recovery, local markets, and community participation. The program also demonstrates that circular economy practices can function as a mechanism for social inclusion by creating differentiated roles for women, older community members, low-income groups, and children. Furthermore, the gradual strengthening of organizational capacity, productive assets, market access, and community responsibilities indicates a shift from beneficiary-oriented assistance toward greater community agency. The case suggests that CSR can serve as an enabling platform for urban social innovation when interventions are embedded in existing community practices and designed to connect environmental, economic, and social objectives. The study contributes a context-sensitive perspective on how CSR can facilitate urban circularity through community-based resource integration and inclusive participation.