The UGM Faculty of Biology shared its experience in waste management, particularly organic waste, with dozens of community members from the Yogyakarta Special Region and Central Java on Friday (August 18).
The sharing session was attended by around 30 participants in the Sambatan Jogja (SONJO) group and representatives from government offices and community organizations.
During the event, participants were taken on a tour of the biology faculty to observe waste management processes implemented since 2017.
The faculty has employed simple technologies to manage organic waste, including vermicomposting using worms and black soldier flies, liquid organic fertilizers, eco-enzymes, composting, and biofertilizers from animal urine.
The Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Professor Budi S. Daryono, stated that the Rector of UGM tasked the Faculty of Biology with the university’s organic waste management and helping in Yogyakarta waste problem resolution.
The faculty has conducted training on organic waste processing, attended by more than 25 hospitals, 17 Islamic boarding schools, and 30 waste management communities in Yogyakarta.
“Through this training, we hope to collectively solve waste issues, particularly organic waste, by utilizing methods and technologies developed by the UGM Faculty of Biology,” he said.
The dean revealed that the Faculty of Biology has successfully developed the BIO-2023 Probiotic to accelerate fermentation and transform organic waste into planting media, compost, and liquid organic fertilizer.
Rania Naura, a student from the faculty’s International Undergraduate Program (IUP), has also developed the Eco Lindi, which has been used to eliminate odors from waste by the Sidoarjo Government since 2021 and is now also utilized by the Sleman Government.
Biology lecturer Soenarwan Heri Poerwanto explained one method of converting organic waste into fertilizer using biofertilizer. Adding biofertilizers accelerates waste degradation much faster than conventional methods. While conventional degradation takes around two weeks or more, adding biofertilizer can accelerate the process to just one week.
One participant, Lia (46) from Magelang, mentioned that she has been managing waste independently at home for the past three years by separating inorganic and organic waste. In doing so, she uses a layered bucket method with the addition of eco-enzymes.
By participating in this event, she hoped to gain additional insights into waste management efforts that she could apply at home and in her local community.
Berna (53), a resident of Pogung Baru, Sleman, shared a similar sentiment. She expressed interest in implementing waste management using biofertilizers.
“I am amazed to hear the explanation about waste management using biofertilizer, which can degrade waste in just one week. I’m very interested in using this method in the future,” Berna said.
These efforts reaffirm UGM’s commitment as a university that cares for the environment and supports sustainable development.
This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where sustainable waste management contributes to a healthier life (SDG 3), reduces pollution caused by waste that affects clean water availability (SDG 6), and addresses climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from organic waste accumulation (SDG 13).
Author & Photographer: Ika