UNDIP, Semarang – The 2024 Thematic Community Service Program on Sustainable Development Goals (KKN-T SDGs) team from Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) organized TPST Day under the theme “Optimizing TPST UNDIP as an Educational Platform for Circular Economy and Zero Waste Management.” The event took place at the Integrated Waste Management Facility (Tempat Pengelolaan Sampah Terpadu / TPST) on UNDIP’s Tembalang Campus on Tuesday (29/11). A total of 36 students from five teams participated in this expo and product exhibition, a collaboration between the Community Service Center (P2KKN) and UNDIP’s Safety, Occupational Health, and Environmental Unit (UPT K3L).
TPST Day is part of the thematic KKN program aimed at optimizing TPST UNDIP as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and education to address ongoing waste management challenges. The event is expected to be a stepping stone toward developing an integrated TPST strategy based on circular economy principles, supporting a zero-waste vision within the community.
Prof. Dr. Diana Nur Afifah, S.T.P., the KKN-T SDGs supervisor, highlighted that the students involved in the thematic KKN came from various study programs, aiming not only to deepen their understanding of waste management but also to share it with the surrounding community.
“This thematic KKN focuses on waste management with the hope of achieving a circular economy where waste can be processed or reused, embodying the zero-waste concept. The efforts of these students are truly beneficial for the community,” said Prof. Diana.
Bina Kurniawan, S.KM., M.Kes., Head of UPT K3L UNDIP and a KKN-T advisor, expressed gratitude for the participation of residents and waste management community activists.
He emphasized the importance of treating waste as a resource, citing UNDIP’s DIPO Waste Bank, which facilitates the exchange of waste for small amounts of gold. This action supports the slogan ‘Waste is gold.’
Use waste wisely, aim for zero waste, and avoid sending waste to landfills. This effort will also help the government’s efforts to preserve the environment and prevent overfilled landfills,” Bina stated.
Bina also expressed, “We hope thematic KKN activities at the TPST UNDIP would improve the facility and benefit the community, aligning with UNDIP’s vision of making the TPST an educational tourism site. Schools from elementary to high school levels could visit to learn about waste management, furthering UNDIP’s contribution to environmental conservation.”
Dessy Ariyanti, Ph.D., KKN-T SDGs coordinator, stated that the KKN-T students engaged in various activities at the TPST to facilitate knowledge transfer to the community. The goal is for the community to manage their waste independently, transforming it from a burden into an opportunity.
“UNDIP remains committed to thematic KKN activities as part of its alignment with the government’s SDG initiatives, providing a collaborative learning environment for developing better environmental technologies,” Dessy said.
The KKN-T SDGs student team programs included:
- Designing the TPST as an educational platform and implementing circular economy practices.
- Producing educational videos on waste sorting for students and the community.
- Creating paper from dried leaves and ink from leaf waste.
- Developing insecticides from liquid smoke and organic pesticides.
- Producing floor cleaners from insecticide liquid smoke.
- Generating social media content promoting clean and healthy lifestyles and TPST safety campaigns.
- Calculating TPST’s financial profits from selling liquid smoke, biochar, and compost.
- Drafting SOPs for TPST workers, installing safety signs, and processing organic waste using the Takamura method.
Through TPST Day, the message is clear: turn waste into a blessing. (DHW)
