Depok-The community service team (pengmas) of Universitas Indonesia (UI) Vocational Education Program chaired by Ari Nurfikri, S.K.M., M.M.R., lecturer in the Hospital Administration study program, held training activities at the RPTRA Hall of Panggang Island, Kepulauan Seribu on 18th-19th of August 2023. A total of 35 residents of Panggang Island took part in the community service activity entitled “Processing Household Waste Using Biopore Holes”. Together with other lecturers, Supriadi, S.K.M., M.A.R.S.; Nia Murniati, S.K.M., M.K.M.; Badra Al Aufa, S.K.M., M.K.M.; Debrina Vita Ferezagia, S.Si., M.Si.; and Karin Amelia Safitri, S.Pd., M.Si.; as well as UI Vocational students, the community service team was trying to educate the people of Panggang Island to process and reuse household waste into compost using biopore holes.
Chairman of Panggang Island People’s Welfare, Sofiyah, said that household waste in Kepulauan Seribu Regency is still a problem. Data from the Kepulauan Seribu Environmental Service Office stated that waste in the area was dominated by twig wood and food waste, which reached 31.59% and 25.50%, respectively. This is a challenge for the government and the local community as the Kepulauan Seribu is not only a residential location, but also one of ten national priority tourism destinations. She said, “We are grateful to the UI Vocational Community Service team for this useful program and for answering the problem of organic waste on Panggang Island. I hope that this program can continue to be sustainable and managed well by the community.”
Ari said that the use of biopore holes to reduce the volume of organic waste can be used because biopores are holes in the soil that are formed due to various activities of soil biota organisms such as earthworms, plant roots, termites and other soil fauna. “The holes that are formed will be filled with air and will be a place for water to pass through in the ground. These holes are an alternative method for absorbing rainwater and processing organic waste. Then, the rubbish that is put into the hole will attract organisms in the soil to make small tunnels so that the water can quickly seep in,” said Ari.
Apart from that, the UI Vocational Community Service team also gave an example of using biopore drilling equipment to make a hole with a diameter of 10 cm, inserting a modified paralon pipe, until the organic waste was put into the biopore hole. According to Ari, community involvement is necessary for this program to be sustainable, especially in the management, maintenance and development of biopore absorption holes; it will provide a sense of ownership and responsibility for the sustainability of the program.
Ari added that adapting simple technology in managing waste for the community, especially housewives, in order to reduce the amount of household waste, such as kitchen waste, will have many benefits and economic value. He said, “This program focuses on making compost and biopores. This is because these two programs are very simple and easy for housewives to adapt. Hence why, it is hoped that they will be able to do it in between household chores. The application of compost and biopore products is focused on plants so that they are more effective and have high use value.”
Responding to the community service, the Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D expressed his support. “This waste problem is indeed a national problem in Indonesia that needs to be solved together. It is hoped that processing waste, especially organic, through biopore technology can be a solution that will have a real impact on society. This activity is also our effort to make water and soil conservation a success in accordance with the UI GreenMetric program,” said Padang.
