Depok-Realizing the importance of efforts to overcome the waste problem, the Family Women’s Association (IWK) Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), took the initiative to conduct ongoing workshops on waste management together with the Kertabumi Recycling Center. The workshop activity was attended by female participants from the academic community in the UI Vocational environment, namely lecturers and education staff, held on March 8, 2024 at the Kertabumi Recycling Center, South Tangerang.
Kertabumi Recycling Center is a creative economy-based waste processing social enterprise, located in Bintaro. Kertabumi is developing a sustainable lifestyle concept through waste recycling and other activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kertabumi is also a waste bank for donating various types of waste, ranging from paper, plastic, glass, electronics, used cooking oil, and others.
(Photo: UI Vocational IWK during a waste management workshop)
On this occasion, as many as 44 UI Vocational IWK members took part in a workshop on recycling paper waste into recycled paper and pouches from the used plastic packaging they brought, with instructor Santi Novianti from the Kertabumi Recycling Center team. They made recycled paper using a solution of paper pulp mixed with tapioca flour, then printed using the frame method. Once dry, recycled paper can be used.
Making pouches from used plastic packaging is done by preparing the plastic packaging and adjusting it to the desired pouch size. Then, the plastic packaging is coated with baking paper or oil paper, then ironed in a vertical or horizontal direction. Once the plastic packaging has a texture like orange peel, the next step is to sew it and add a zipper.
(Photo: Head of UI Vocational IWK, Dewi Anggraeni, opens the waste management workshop)
Head of the UI Vocational IWK, Dewi Anggraeni, said that the workshop activity was a form of UI Vocational’s concern for environmental sustainability, especially supporting the implementation of the UI GreenMetric program. “This workshop has many benefits for women who often encounter household waste problems. Through this workshop, I hope that the waste problem can be overcome, and even become a business opportunity to turn waste into goods again,” said Dewi.
Dewi also added that this workshop program could be sustainable in the form of implementation in the UI Vocational environment. Apart from that, the lecturers involved will also collaborate with various parties to carry out community service programs to increase local residents’ self-awareness regarding plastic waste management.
“I hope that the UI Vocational IWK members can implement this workshop in the UI Vocational environment as well. So, the use of waste can be remade into a product or building structure at UI Vocational,” said Dewi.
(Photo: Workshop results, include pouches, made from used plastic)
Apart from carrying out waste processing practices, UI Vocational IWK members were also invited to tour the various waste recycling processes in Kertabumi. Starting from processing waste into souvenirs, furniture, to construction. They were also invited to urban farming tour, namely plants that can be used as material for the process of making recycled waste, to livestock such as chickens, as well as the use of maggots for processing organic waste.
