Garbage is not always useless. With a little of creativity, garbage can be transformed into something useful. At Students Cooperative (Kopma) UGM various plastics, cloth, and paper waste are processed into a variety of beautiful products of high economic value. The products among others are bags, pencil cases, wallets, pillows, dolls, key chains and accessories. The waste management activity is initiated by KKN UGM units 67 students.
According to Yoko Putra Santoso, student coordinator, these waste management activities at Kopma UGM is one effort in ensuring the success of UGM integrated waste management program. "For the UGM integrated waste management program managed by the Directorate for Assets Management, we and the UGM Environmental Study Center initiated the waste management at Kopma UGM based on 3 R, reduce, reuse, and recycle," he explained on Friday (20/8) on UGM campus. One of the programs conducted is to provide recycling training and guidance to the staff. "Working with several groups, we have given five-day training on waste management and the making a variety of souvenirs made from waste materials for Kopma UGM employees," he said.
These activities, Yoko expected, are able to create products of higher economic value. Meanwhile, Trisni, employe of Kopma UGM, welcomed well the activities conducted by the KKN student. "The training and assistance provide new insights for us of how to manage waste. It turned out that garbage can be processed into various products that have promising marketing prospects," she explained.
In addition, KKN UGM Unit 67 held an exhibition to promote and market the resulting products. The Exhibition was held for two days from 20 and 21 August, 2010.