Depok-For about four months (March–June 2023), the Universitas Indonesia (UI) Vocational Education Program was initiated by 79 academics participating in collecting 4,611 bottles (73.19 kg) of plastic bottle waste. The plastic bottle waste is collected from the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at UI Vocational.
The movement to collect plastic waste is an implementation of the collaboration between the UI Vocational Education Program and Plasticpay which was initiated in March 2023, supported by Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI). The number of participants involved in this activity continues to increase, in line with awareness of the important role of the academic community in preserving the campus environment.
(Photo: Head of Community Service, UI Vocational Education Program, Deni Danial Kesa, MBA. Ph.D)
According to the Head of Community Service for the UI Vocational Education Program, Deni Danial Kesa, MBA., Ph.D, who is also the Deputy Director of UI Vocational, the circular economy movement initiated by UI Vocational is an economic approach that aims to reduce waste, extend product life , and optimizing natural resources. Therefore, this movement requires collaboration between producers, consumers, government and other institutions to create a more efficient and sustainable system.
To increase the awareness of UI academics regarding plastic waste management, the UI Vocational Education Program Community Service Team held a workshop entitled “Increasing Knowledge of UI Vocational Canteen Students and Tenants in Plastic Bottle Waste Management”. This activity took place on June 20, 2023 at the UI Vocational VB Building, presenting several speakers, including lecturers from the UI Vocational Creative Business Study Program, DKS Nugraha, M.Si., M.B.A.; lecturer of the Hospital Administration Study Program, Nia Murniati, S.K.M., M.K.M; as well as representatives from the UI Safety, Health, Work and Environment (K3L) Tennis Implementation Unit (UPT), Qanita Fauzia, S.K.M., M.K.K.K. and Wulan Kusuma Wardani, S.K.M.
(Photo: Lecturer at the UI Vocational Creative Business Study Program, DKS Nugraha, M.Si., MBA.)
In the presentation of the source, it was stated that based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) for 2021, Indonesia’s plastic waste reaches 66 million tons per year, and as much as 3.2 million tons of which is plastic waste that is dumped into the sea. To prevent this, UI Vocational implements a digital platform-based management system. Inorganic waste, especially plastic bottles, can be put into the available Reverse Vending Machine (RVM), to be exchanged into points that can be converted into digital money.
In addition, a review was also carried out on traders in the Kantin Vokasi which included the completeness of personal protective equipment (aprons, hair covers, gloves, and others), cleanliness (good hygiene and sanitation), to the management of cutlery. Domestic waste water produced by canteen traders also cannot be released carelessly into the environment. Waste treatment must be distinguished into primary, secondary and tertiary treatment.
(Photo: Representative from UPT K3L UI)
Primary treatment is applied through screening, grit chamber, settling, and flotation. Secondary processing is carried out by adding aerobic bacteria from the results of primary processing. Meanwhile, tertiary processing is carried out if substances harmful to the environment are still found in the primary and secondary stages.
The Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, said that the community service activity was a form of UI Vocational efforts in implementing a green campus. “This is our step to invite people in the surrounding environment to be more aware of the importance of managing plastic waste so that it can be reused,” said Padang.
