Beaches along the southern coast of Yogyakarta are well-known tourist destinations, yet the surge in visitors has also increased waste volume. In March 2025, the Bantul Tourism Office reported that waste production in the coastal area could reach 6-8 tons per day. This condition highlights the urgency of a more innovative and sustainable waste management system.
To address this issue, the Roadster Team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), together with Generasi Penggerak Masyarakat Kepuh Kulon (GPMK) and supervising lecturers, organized a program titled RESIK: Revitalization of Coastal Cleanliness Systems, carrying the slogan “Sweep the Waste, Protect Nature” on Saturday (Nov. 15).
The activity is part of the Tera Saintek Program, which supports the development of community-based technology solutions. A total of 27 participants took part, consisting of UGM students, GPMK members, and supervising lecturers.
Focusing on the Parangtritis Beach area, RESIK began with a presentation of prototype findings from the Roadster Team’s cleanliness innovation. Project leader Cicilia Norma introduced a sweeper prototype, a device designed to assist in collecting, sorting, and monitoring coastal waste.
The sweeper combines a wheel system and a mesh mechanism to sweep the sand surface and capture buried waste. Through field trials, participants also conducted a beach clean-up and mapped the most common types of waste. Norma noted that plastic waste, food packaging, and tourism-related litter were the most frequently found.
However, she explained that the device still requires improvement.
“We received assistance from local residents for welding to reinforce the tool’s frame so it can be used in the harsh coastal environment,” Norma said on Wednesday (Nov. 19).
The activity was then split into two groups. In addition to focusing on coastal cleanliness, some participants joined ROADMATE: Roadster and Masyarakat Team-up for Environment at the Modalan Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST). At the site, participants learned about waste processing stages, including sorting, shredding, drying, and incineration.
The series of visits continued to TPST Guwosari, where participants observed how ash residue is processed into environmentally friendly concrete blocks. During the discussion session, participants also highlighted the potential of the reporting feature in the ROADSTER application to support community-level waste monitoring.
Through RESIK and ROADMATE, Norma expressed hope that the synergy between academia and the community would continue to strengthen in producing relevant technological solutions.
“We hope this becomes a concrete example of how technology can support environmentally friendly waste management, while also empowering the skills of local MSMEs,” she emphasized.
Author: Hanifah
Editor: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: UGM Roadster Team