Depok, August 7th 2023. For approximately four months (March–June 2023), Universitas Indonesia (UI) Vocational Education Program, initiated by 79 academic members, had been participating in collecting 4,611 bottles (73.19 kg) of plastic bottle waste. The plastic bottle waste was collected from the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at UI Vocational Program campus area.
This movement to collect plastic waste is an implementation of 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.
According to the Head of Community Service (Pengmas) of the UI Vocational Education Program, Deni Danial Kesa, MBA., Ph.D., who is also the Vice Director of Vocational Studies, the circular economy movement initiated by UI Vocational Program is an economic approach that aims to reduce waste, extend the life of products, and optimize natural resources. Therefore, this movement requires collaboration between producers, consumers, government and other institutions to create a more efficient and sustainable system.
To increase awareness of the UI academic community regarding plastic waste management, the UI Vocational Education Program Community Service Team held a workshop entitled “Increasing the Knowledge of UI Vocational Program Students and Canteen Tenants in Managing Plastic Bottle Waste”. This activity took place on June 20th 2023 at the UI VB Vocational Building, presenting several speakers, including lecturers at the UI Vocational Creative Business Study Program, DKS Nugraha, M.Si., M.B.A.; lecturer at 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) Technical Implementation Unit (UPT), Qanita Fauzia, S.K.M., M.K.K.K. and Wulan Kusuma Wardani, S.K.M.
In the speaker’s presentation, it was stated that based on 2021 Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, Indonesia’s plastic waste reached 66 million tons per year, and 3.2 million tons of this was plastic waste thrown into the sea. To prevent this, UI Vocational Program 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 for points which can be converted into digital money.
Apart from that, a review was also carried out on tenants in the UI Vocational Program Canteen area which included completeness of personal protective equipment (aprons, hair coverings, gloves, etc.), cleanliness (good cleanliness and sanitation), and management of cutlery. Domestic wastewater produced by canteen tenants cannot be released carelessly into the environment. Waste processing must be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary processing.
Primary processing is applied through filtration, 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 that are harmful to the environment are still found in the primary and secondary stages.
Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, said that the community service activities were a form of UI Vocational Program’s efforts to implement 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.
