Realizing the importance of efforts to overcome the waste problem, the Women’s Family Association (IWK) Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), took the initiative to conduct ongoing workshops on waste management with Kertabumi Recycling Center. The workshop activity was attended by female participants from the academic community in the UI Vocational environment, such as lecturers and education staff, held on Friday (8/3) at the Kertabumi Recycling Center, South Tangerang.
Kertabumi Recycling Center is a creative economy-based waste processing social enterprise 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 that donates various waste types, including paper, plastic, glass, electronics, used cooking oil, and others.
On this occasion, 44 members of IWK Vocational UI took part in a workshop on making recycled paper waste into recycled paper and pouches from used plastic packaging they brought, with instructor Santi Novianti from the Kertabumi Recycling Center team. They made recycled paper using a paper pulp solution 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 preferred pouch size. Then, the plastic packaging is coated with baking paper or oil paper and ironed vertically or horizontally. Once the plastic packaging has a texture like orange peel, the next step is to sew it and add a zipper.
Chair of the UI Vocational IWK, Dewi Anggraeni, said that the workshop activity was UI Vocational’s concern for environmental sustainability, especially supporting the implementation of the UI GreenMetric program. “This workshop benefits women who often encounter household waste problems. Through this workshop, I hope the waste problem can be tackled and become a business opportunity to turn waste into goods,” said Dewi.
Dewi also added that this workshop program could be sustainable in the form of implementation in the UI Vocational environment. 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 also implement this workshop in the UI Vocational environment. So, the use of waste can be remade into a product or building structure at Vocational UI,” said Dewi.
IWK Vocational UI members were also invited to tour various waste recycling processes in Kertabumi. Starting from processing waste into souvenirs and furniture to construction. They were also invited to tour urban farming, namely plants that can be used as material for the process of making recycled waste, livestock such as chickens, and maggots for processing organic waste.
