Depok-Modern lifestyle encourages people to need more goods. It has an impact on increasing waste from households, especially disposable items. The billions of tons of human-generated waste cannot be decomposed or recycled. It also has an impact on marine pollution, including in the Thousand Islands.
Zero waste-based waste management is an effort that can be made to realize sustainable development goals, as well as increase the attractiveness of tourist destinations on the islands inhabited by many tribes from the archipelago. Seeing these conditions, a team of lecturers from the Hospital Administration study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), held a community service program (pengmas) entitled “Efforts to Process Household Zero Waste Based” in the Panggang Island RPTRA Hall. The community service activities were carried out by UI Vocational lecturers, namely Supriadi, S.K.M., M.A.R.S.; Badra Al Aufa, SKM., MKM.; and Nia Murniati, S.K.M., M.K.M.
Supriadi, S.K.M., M.A.R.S., who is also the Head of the Hospital Administration Study Program, said that problems related to waste, especially that which comes from households, can be reduced in quantity and utilized further. This effort supports environmental preservation, which is one of the goals of sustainable development. “Zero waste is a concept that invites people to use single-use products wisely to reduce the amount and negative impacts of waste. “The aim of this concept is so that waste does not end up in final disposal sites, protect resources and preserve nature,” said Supriadi.
(Photo: UI Vocational lecturer carrying out community service activities on Panggang Island)
Implementing zero waste is also useful for saving costs, increasing use that focuses on long-lasting products, leaving no food waste, improving health, supporting efforts to overcome global warming, and increasing creativity. One of the zero waste strategies is not to burn waste and not to dispose of waste in final landfills.
The Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, supports the waste-free movement carried out by the UI Vocational lecturer. According to him, zero waste efforts are one solution in alleviating waste management problems. “I hope that this movement can continue to be carried out by the people of Panggang Island. So that the campaign carried out by UI Vocational lecturers can be applied in their daily lives,” said Padang at the community service which was held on August 19, 2023.
