Depok-The use of plastic in various daily activities is increasingly massive, from packaging tools to food and drink containers. Unfortunately, the use of plastic is not accompanied by a good understanding of managing plastic waste wisely. Research from the University of Georgia in 2015 stated that Indonesia was the second country contributing to ocean plastic waste in the world. Furthermore, research entitled “Riverine plastic emissions from Jakarta into the ocean” in 2019 stated that the Ciliwung River was included in the list of the dirtiest rivers in the world.
The Ciliwung River is a river that divides the cities of Jakarta, Depok to Bogor. The accumulation of plastic waste that has pooled in the Ciliwung River is one of the problems with pollution of this water area, causing flooding. In fact, the Ciliwung River waterway, which was built to prevent flooding in Jakarta, is apparently not free from the accumulation of rubbish. Based on this problem, two students from the Public Relations study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), Rahel Sriwahyuni Sinaga and Tsamara Safira Al Sani, attempted to create a waste management campaign which succeeded in bringing them to third place in the Voice of Youth Challenge 2023 competition on December 8, 2023.
(Photo: Rahel and Tsamara taking part in the Voice of Youth Challenge 2023 competition)
Rahel and Tsamara created a campaign program entitled “CiLife Eco Care”, a program aimed at communities around the Ciliwung River to consciously process and sort waste, especially plastic bottle waste. By carrying out the pentahelix concept, Rahel and Tsamara invited various stakeholders to take part in the campaign program they created. Starting from the South Jakarta Administrative City Government, PlasticPay as an industrial provider of plastic waste recycling technology, disseminating information through the media, to involving the community in the area where the Ciliwung River flows, namely Tebet District.
Rahel explained that the CiLife Eco Care program was implemented on November 23, 2023 at the RPTRA Flamboyan, Tebet District. Present at the activity were youth organizations, dasawisma, jumantik, and Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) from seven sub-districts in Tebet District, namely West Tebet, East Tebet, Kebon Baru, Bukit Duri, Manggarai, South Manggarai, and Menteng Dalam. Rahel said, “We invite the public to participate in waste management educational talkshow to increase self-awareness of the importance of plastic waste management. Apart from that, it is hoped that people will start to get used to taking part in managing plastic waste into recycling machines.”
(Photo: Rahel and Tsamara with Dra. Amelita Lusia, M.Si., Head of Public Relations and KIP UI Bureau)
On this occasion, PlasticPay also contributed by providing a dropbox for plastic bottle waste which could be exchanged for points and then converted into money via a digital wallet. The existence of the dropbox is a support effort and innovative solution from industry and government so that people start learning to sort and process plastic bottle waste.
This competition, which is held nationally, provides a challenge for students in Indonesia to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely a Good Health and Well-being and Climate Action. Taking two themes, “Hydration Consciousness” and “Waste Management”, each participant can choose one of them to create a program related to the SDGs.
Tsamara said that the Voice of Youth Challenge 2023 competition was a forum for them to realize the public relations competencies they had as students and create programs that were innovative and sustainable for the environment. “We went through quite a long process when participating in the competition. Starting from submitting proposals, funding for validation of the program initiated, pitching, to evaluation of programs that have been carried out. We hope that the steps we have taken can be sustainable and produce a positive impact on the environment,” said Tsamara.
(Photo: Rahel and Tsamara with other UI student teams who won the Voice of Youth Challenge 2023 competition)
The Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, appreciated the achievements achieved by Rahel and Tsamara. According to him, the implementation of a practice-based curriculum for UI Vocational students has had various positive impacts. No exception, the use of public relations competencies that can be applied to improving the environment. “I congratulate Rahel and Tsamara who have succeeded in making the Universitas Indonesia proud. I hope that the programs launched by both of them can continue to develop and be beneficial for society and the sustainability of a clean environment,” concluded Padang.
