Waste management remains a major environmental challenge in Indonesia, including West Nusa Tenggara Province. Kekait Berseri Waste Bank has sustained community-based waste management for nearly a decade without village funding or formal institutional support, although community participation remains uneven. This study analyzes the innovation communication process employed by the waste bank to foster community participation in Kekait Village, Gunungsari District. A qualitative case study was conducted using in-depth interviews with twelve purposively selected informants, supported by non-participant observation and documentation. Data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's interactive model, interpreted through Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory and Tufte and Mefalopulos' participatory communication framework. The findings show that innovation diffusion relied primarily on interpersonal communication, direct demonstration of benefits, household-level mentoring, and peer networks, while social media played a supporting role. Although these strategies encouraged initial adoption, participation remained unstable because community involvement was largely limited to implementation, with little participation in planning and evaluation. The study concludes that sustainable participation requires not only interpersonal communication and mentoring but also institutionalized dialogue and shared decision-making.
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