19 August 2024
Syafrijal S.Kom
.png)
KELAMBIR VILLAGE, An important breakthrough in waste management and community empowerment has begun in Kelambir Village, Pantai Labu District, Deliserdang Regency. The University of North Sumatra (USU) Fostered Village Team chaired by Prof. Dr. Ir. Rosdanelli Hasibuan, M.T., with activity coordinator Prof. dr. Ir. Juliza Hidayati., MT and members Dr. Ir. Dini Wahyuni. MT and Ir. Muhammad Thoriq Al-Fath, S.T., M.T., and three students have succeeded in implementing an innovative and environmentally friendly community service program.
This program focuses on processing three main types of waste - plastic, paper, and wood - into high-value products using advanced technology. Plastic waste is processed into plastic pellets using crusher technology, paper waste is processed into creative paper through the pulping method, and wood waste is converted into briquettes using pyrolysis technology.
"The main objective of this program is to change the community's paradigm about waste. We want to show that waste is not just discarded goods, but can be a resource with economic value if processed properly," said Prof. Rosdanelli in his press release, Wednesday (8/14/2024).
In its implementation, the USU fostered village team fabricated waste processing tools which were then handed over to the Head of Kelambir Village, Sahrial SE. The handover of this tool marked the beginning of a new era in waste management in the village.
"We designed these tools by considering ease of use and maintenance. The hope is that the community can operate and maintain these tools independently in the long term," explained Ir. Muhammad Thoriq Al-Fath, S.T., M.T.
The Fostered Village Team under the coordinator Prof. Dr. Ir. Juliza Hidayati emphasized the economic aspect of this program. "The processing of waste into value-added products is expected to open up new business opportunities for villagers, so that they can improve their welfare," he said.
The Head of Kelambir Village, Sahrial SE, enthusiastically welcomed this initiative. "We are very grateful for the assistance from USU. This program not only helps us solve the waste problem, but also opens up new economic opportunities for the villagers,” he said.
He also promised to ensure that this program runs sustainably and provides maximum benefits for the community. One of the students involved in this program, Aravi Zalsa Ramadhan, shared his experience. “This is a very valuable experience for us. We learned a lot about applying the knowledge we learned on campus to solve real problems in the community,” he said.
In the future, the USU fostered village team plans to conduct training for the community and regular monitoring of the implementation of this program. The fostered village team will also provide further assistance to ensure the sustainability of the program and assist the community in product development and marketing.
This innovative program is expected to not only be able to solve the waste problem in Kelambir Village, but also become a model for other villages in sustainable waste management that is economically beneficial for the community. Thus, environmental conservation efforts can go hand in hand with improving the welfare of the village community.
