UI Academics Across Faculties Invite Ciliwung Riverbank Residents to Manage Plastic Waste

The Community Service Team (Pengmas) of the University of Indonesia consisting of academics from various UI faculties held socialization and education about the dangers of plastic waste through training in waste sorting, composting, and making liquid fertilizer. The activity, which took place on December 5-6, 2020 at the Hall of the Kampung Melayu Village Office, Jatinegara, East Jakarta, was attended by 24 participants who were residents of RW 04 and RW 07 of Kampung Melayu Village, while still implementing health protocols.

Dr. rer. nat. Noverra M. Nizardo (dosen departemen kimia FMIPA UI) selaku ketua tim menjelaskan kegiatan ini turut melibatkan para akademisi dari Fakultas Psikologi, dan Sekolah Ilmu Lingkungan (SIL), berkerja sama dengan Kertabumi Recycling Center atas dukungan pendanaan dari Direktorat Pengabdian dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (DPPM) UI melalui skema “IPTEKS bagi Masyarakat (IbM)”.

"Plastic waste on the banks of the Ciliwung River is one of the causes of flooding in Kampung Melayu Village. Through the application of cross-disciplinary science, the Community Service Team tries to implement community behavior engineering to change the habit of throwing garbage into the river." Said Dr. Noverra.

The engineering carried out by the team was in the form of a psychological approach to household waste management by presenting an analysis. survey online from respondents from Kampung Melayu residents and its surroundings. In addition, the community was given socialization about the uses and dangers of plastic and training on household waste. So that the community not only understands the impact of plastic and organic waste pollution, but also benefits from reducing the use, sorting, and processing household waste.

The first day's activities were attended by participants from RW 04. While the next day, it was RW 07's turn to participate in community service activities. The team presented several materials and training. The series of activities were a psychological approach to household waste management presented by Dr. Dipl. Psych. Ratna Juwita, and continued with a video screening of "Household Waste Management Ideas at Home; Easy and Cheap". The material was continued with a presentation entitled "Plastic Chemistry and Its Impact on the Environment" by Dr. rer. Nat. Noverra M. Nizardo. The series of activities were closed with household waste processing training demonstrated by the team Kertabumi Recycling Center.

Participants were quite enthusiastic in listening to the socialization and training presentation on the use of plastic bottles as an alternative container for planting vegetables with fertilizer made from food waste. In addition, the community service team distributed planting media equipment along with various types of vegetables to participants. This is to motivate participants to be able to apply the material presented in their respective homes.

And to support the behavior of throwing garbage in its place, the community service team also symbolically provided trash bins to the representatives of the participants. This activity is expected to increase public awareness, especially those living on riverbanks, in maintaining the environment by implementing wise behavior in throwing garbage in its place, and managing household waste properly, in order to maintain a healthy environment.

"We hope that in the future the participants of the activity can pass on the knowledge they have gained from this socialization and training by teaching it to the people around them, so that the domino effect of the sustainability of this Community Service activity can be applied to a wider community," added Dr. Noverra.