A UGM KKN-PPM team has developed an environmentally friendly paving block tool in collaboration with the Bank Sampah Berseri (BSB) community empowerment group in Krandegan Village, Bulukerto District, Wonogiri Regency, Central Java Province.
Nurrizky Ajihan, the Student Coordinator of the UGM KKN-PPM Bulukerto Team, stated that the creation of this tool is a manifestation of the student’s community service, driven by the issue of excessive plastic waste in the area.
“This initiative also supports the BSB community empowerment group, which has a program to manage plastic waste into paving blocks—a program that had been halted due to several challenges that needed to be addressed,” Ajihan said on Wednesday (Aug. 7).
The environmentally friendly paving block tool was tested and handed over to the BSB in Krandegan Village during the launch of Bank Sampah Berseri’s (BSB) new programs.
Bank Sampah Berseri (BSB) in Krandegan Village is a community empowerment group focused on environmental issues, mainly organic and inorganic waste. One of their programs is to manage plastic waste and convert it into valuable products, including crafts like e-pavingku.
Ajihan explained that the environmentally friendly paving block tool has two main components: a reactor for burning waste and a condenser for processing smoke. The tool burns plastic waste in the reactor tank, with oil added as a non-stick agent for the plastic.
During the burning process, smoke is produced, which is then processed in the condenser tank to convert it into a liquid that can be used as temporary fuel.
“Based on three trials of the paving block tool, it takes approximately 4 hours to produce two paving blocks and a quarter liter of fuel. The burning process requires 5 kg of clean plastic waste,” Ajihan explained.
Sifa Tsalsabila Hasyifah, the coordinator of the science and technology cluster, added that the creation of this environmentally friendly paving block tool is one of the UGM KKN-PPM team’s work programs in the science and technology cluster, involving the design and manufacture of appropriate technology tools.
Providing this tool can help address the plastic waste problem by turning it into valuable products like paving blocks.
“The presentation of this tool coincides with the inauguration of four new programs by the Bank Sampah Berseri in Krandegan Village, one of which is the e-pavingku program that will use the paving block tool provided by the UGM KKN-PPM team,” she added.
Riyanto, Bank Sampah Berseri’s (BSB) leader, welcomed the environmentally friendly paving block tool, which will help the students apply their knowledge to solving community problems.
He hopes this tool will support BSB’s activities in managing plastic waste into environmentally friendly paving blocks.
“We all hope that the process does not cause air pollution since it is already equipped with a smoke processing tool, the condenser,” Riyanto said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afif