The Bentangan Bawean Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), together with residents of Tanjungori Village, organized a beach cleanup program to help keep the coastal area at Labuhan Beach clean in Tanjungori Village, Tambak District, Bawean Island, Gresik Regency, East Java. The initiative was carried out in three phases on July 12, 19, and 26, involving 15 UGM KKN-PPM students and approximately 30 local residents.
Throughout the program, participants worked together to clean the shoreline by collecting, sorting, and transporting waste scattered along the coast. Over the three cleanup activities, they collected about 45 bags of waste, mostly inorganic materials such as single-use plastic bottles and cups, food packaging, and other household waste carried into the coastal area.
“This program is not only focused on beach cleanup activities but also serves as an educational platform to raise public awareness about the importance of maintaining clean coastal environments,” said Program Coordinator Indrastata Fikri on Thursday (Jul. 30).
During the cleanup activities, Fikri said the students encouraged local residents to develop lasting habits of keeping the beach clean as part of broader efforts to preserve coastal ecosystems while supporting the tourism potential of Labuhan Beach.
According to Fikri, the collaboration between students and community members to create a cleaner and more comfortable coastal environment demonstrates that maintaining beach cleanliness is not solely the responsibility of the government or certain groups but of the entire community.
“We hope this initiative marks the beginning of a lasting habit of preserving the cleanliness of Labuhan Beach in a sustainable way,” he said.
Local residents’ enthusiasm was evident throughout the program. Community members from various backgrounds actively participated in the cleanup and worked alongside students to restore the coastal area. Rizal, a member of the Labuhan Youth Organization in Tanjungori Village, said the initiative had positively impacted the cleanliness and comfort of Labuhan Beach while increasing public awareness of coastal environmental conservation.
“We are very happy to be involved in this activity. Not only is the beach cleaner, but we have also become more aware that protecting the environment is our shared responsibility. We hope activities like this will continue and inspire even more people to care about keeping our beaches clean,” he said.
Fikri emphasized that the Bentangan Bawean UGM KKN-PPM team’s program has further strengthened the spirit of gotong royong, or mutual cooperation, that has been fostered within the community.
“We hope Labuhan Beach will continue to be well maintained so that it can benefit the local community while supporting the long-term sustainability of Bawean Island’s coastal environment,” he concluded.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Bawean KKN Team