A student team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) under the Student Creativity Program for Exact Science Research (PKM-RE), Peelution, has successfully developed a zero-waste innovation by combining banana peel waste management with the production of biodegradable plastic.
The initiative emerged from the team’s concern over the growing accumulation of non-degradable plastic waste and their search for ways to reduce environmental pollution by utilizing discarded banana peels.
“By merging these two problems, our team created a solution based on the zero-waste concept (reducing plastic waste while adding value to organic waste),” said team leader Dwi Ayu Kurniasih at UGM Campus on Friday (Oct. 3).
As the head of the PKM-RE team, Kurniasih expressed her deep concern about the ever-increasing plastic waste, which she identified as a major source of both land and marine pollution. The issue, she explained, lies in plastic’s resistance to decomposition, which can take hundreds of years to occur naturally.
“Petroleum-based plastics are tough to decompose, continuing to accumulate and posing a serious threat to the environment. At the same time, we see abundant banana peel waste often discarded without being utilized. These two issues inspired our team to develop a zero-waste solution,” Kurniasih explained.
According to her, the team’s innovation centers on Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a natural bioplastic with properties similar to conventional plastics but capable of decomposing naturally. By inserting PHB-producing genes (pHAa, pHAb, and PhaC), the PKM-RE Peelution team genetically modified the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus to produce PHB more efficiently.
“This strategy makes the production process faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly compared to conventional bacteria-based methods,” she said.
She further explained that the research not only offers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics but also transforms organic waste into valuable products, thus supporting the implementation of the zero-waste concept. The team is optimistic that their genetic engineering-based innovation can be scaled up for industrial application.
“We hope this effort contributes to reducing plastic waste while supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through more sustainable waste management,” she added.
In addition to Dwi Ayu Kurniasih (Biology UGM), the PKM-RE Peelution team consists of Aulia Berlian Patricia (Biology UGM), Adrianus Dinata (Biology UGM), Syrin Alia Zahra Marin (FTP UGM), and Muhammad Tegar Prakoso (FTP UGM). The team is supervised by Dr. Ganies Riza Aristya from the Biology UGM.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya