The Community Service (Pengmas) team of FMIPA UI, consisting of 3 lecturers, 2 assistants, and 9 students from the Department of Biology, invited the people of Sarimukti Village to protect the environment by investing the results of their waste management through the BURUKEN waste bank program (Bumi Runtah Tokenor in Indonesian, token trash house.
The activity, which was held on July 17-19 2019 in Sarimukti Village, Pasirwangi District, Garut Regency, was in collaboration with The Creative Institute, Holistika Institute, and Star Energy.
The waste processing includes organic waste being turned into fertilizer, and inorganic waste being turned into various handicrafts. The resulting crafts are diverse, including bags and pencil cases made from soft plastic, fruit and vegetable waste being turned into MOL (local microorganisms) liquid, and hydroponic plant containers made from hard plastic waste.
Astari Dwiranti, a biology lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (UI) and team leader, stated that the series of activities consisted of three sessions, one per day, with 80 residents participating in the first and second sessions. In the third session, the team provided education on waste bank management, involving nine BURUKEN cadres.
The UI Community Service Team, along with partners, educates the public on the importance of environmental protection, waste sorting, and how to deposit waste into waste banks. Before depositing waste, residents must first be able to sort their waste.
Therefore, on the first and second days, the community service team introduced 80 residents to the types of waste: organic, inorganic, and hazardous waste. This was an effort to encourage residents’ interest in understanding how to sort waste.
The Community Service Team also provided waste sorting facilities, including pitcher bags (containers for collecting mineral water bottles) and trash piggy banks (containers for collecting paper and soft plastic waste). This made it easier for participants to deposit their waste at the waste bank.
The proceeds from this waste management, Astari continued, will be used as an investment for participants through the BURUKEN waste bank program. Unlike most waste bank programs, BURUKEN pays for the waste deposited with electricity tokens.
So, on the last day, Astari and the team provided education and training to 9 BURUKEN cadres on the technical aspects of managing a waste bank, including financial management, recording incoming waste, neat administration, and so on.
“By providing education to various parties, from the community to waste bank managers, it is hoped that awareness of waste management will increase and waste processing activities can run sustainably,” said Astari.
Astari assessed that residents were quite enthusiastic about the three-day waste management program. This enthusiasm was the main factor in driving this activity.
“The enthusiasm of residents in participating in this activity is one of the main assets needed as an initial step to mobilize residents in processing waste,” said Astari Dwiranti.
Echoing Astari, the Director of the Holistika Institute, Cecep Ernanto, also expressed his hope that this household-level waste management method would become a sustainable solution. Waste management practices that focus solely on dumping waste from one location to another merely shift the problem from one place to another.
“The waste processing training at the household level carried out in the UI Community Service is expected to become a model that can be duplicated in every place.
“. Imbuh Cecep.
Afiatry Putrika, a member of the team and a lecturer in Biology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia, said that by implementing this independent and group waste management program, in addition to meeting daily electricity needs, it indirectly increases the community’s role in maintaining the cleanliness of their residential environment.
