UNS — Study period become the time where students get numerous chances to be involved in various community engagement activities. This period also opens vast opportunities for students to develop their interests and obtain rich experiences. Along with the development of technology, students gain more supporting factors to help them find their true objective. Nourishing their curiosity, students can explore many things and find out their hidden potential, not only to develop their passion but also to contribute to the great interest of the community.
This time around, another student of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta took the initiative to take a role in community engagement. Aurelia Salsabila Putri, a student from the Industrial Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Engineering (FT) UNS, uses her spare time as a student to develop her potential and contributing to bringing positive impact to her surrounding environment, especially the natural environment.
Starting when she was first entering the higher education level, Aurel feels that as a student, she cannot just follow the mundane learning activity. Starting to look for her “purpose in life” in the fourth semester, she ensures that her interest does have a potential for her to keep developing her competency. Having an interest in the development of a project has encouraged her to create an idea and innovation for each challenge. Aurel believes that a successful person is the one that can be useful for their personal condition and others’.
“Actually, life is how to be useful for others. How to make your existence meaningful for other people,” Aurel said, Monday (21/6/2021).
“I think the current young generation need to not only thinking about their career. While taking care of their career, they also need to contribute to their surrounding environment. But it is not always about the natural environment,” she added.
Considering the pressing environmental problems, Aurel was encouraged to explore more about the role of a student in maintaining environmental sustainability. This is where Aurel started her initiative to improve community awareness toward waste management. The initiative was incorporated through a sustainable and environmentally-friendly clothing business and joining a waste management company.
Going Out for Waste Management with Waste4Change
The company that focused on waste management become a place where Aurel learns and developed. Starting with her placement in the business development section, Aurel was questioning her capability. However, all of her doubts changed when she got full time working allotment. That was when she feels happy and realizing her current activity is what she wanted. For her, there are many things she can learn in Waste4Change.
Among various activities in Waste4Change, the company taking on a mission to reduce the number of waste materials ended in Landfills while establishing itself among the community and encouraging a responsible waste management transformation. This strategy was implemented based on collaboration and technology implementation toward the circular economy and the future of Indonesia.
Holding a mandate as the project development officer, Aurel, recounts her experience in establishing a partnership with various Fast-Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) manufacturers as clients. The partnership involves numerous programs such as office waste management, waste management education for staff, and waste management research in multiple regions in Indonesia. The most recent activity requires her to travel to Nusa Penida island for waste condition research in May.
Another experience was the time where she was collaborated with a mall in Cibubur to educate the visitors and improving their awareness toward better waste management. The objective was to drive more responsible visitors. Another meaningful experience that Aurel have is her first time doing waste sampling as a developer for a waste management project. At that time, she was responsible for budget development, financial analysis, and time management/planning. All of those require her to understand the real condition and conducting sampling for 50 kg flexible plastic waste. Not only once but four times.
Meeting those who collect the garbage at the landfill site, Aurel realizes that those workers are far away from hygienic working conditions. She further understands that the job is exhausting for a disproportionate price. In the end, such waste will stay as residuals, buried, and polluting environment. “Protecting the environment must start from individual awareness because the number of garbage is enormous. Watching those people collecting waste at a much lower price compared to their efforts is humiliating,” she explains.
Initiating ‘Minopelepon,’ Environmentally-Friendly Clothing Line
Started from a wish to develop an environmentally-friendly clothing line that will not contribute to the waste problem, Aurel initiates Minopelepon. She starts the promotion for her clothing line in early 2021, aiming not only for profit but also improving community awareness on the need to reduce waste production. Aurel, who was interested in fashion since high school, hopes her effort to motivate the community to be more responsible for their purchase. This campaign attempt proved feasible through this means.
Her product was made from acacia wood-based fabric. The production of the fabric was managed by the forest industry that applies the sustainability principle, thus it does not threaten the existence of acacia trees. All production stages are done with care and responsibly, starting from raw material handling, yarn spinning, and weaving. This type of fabric minimizes the use of chemical material in its production process. This measure will protect the environment from the threat and danger of chemical contamination that has the potential to be a pollutant factor.
Aurel shares a story from her supplier of environmentally-friendly fabric. Interestingly, they willing to lower the price of this material in the hope of being able to attract new businessmen to develop the environmentally friendly fabric business sector. “Incidentally, my supplier is Balinese. They saw how the waste from the big cities in Indonesia went to them. Such condition is not a good thing and has a negative effect on them,” Aurel explains.
Environment Conservation Starts From Small Steps
Anyone can contribute to environmental sustainability. It does not always need a big step, and there are many small actions that have a strong impact. Aurel shares few simple tips, such as opening up our perspective to receive information and knowledge or anything that can broaden our awareness of the importance of environment conservation. Moreover, developing a critical attitude and curiosity toward new things will improve our comprehension of certain issues. “Waste production is highly related to our life because we are the ones producing it. If we are not aware of such a condition, then how are we going to help?” Aurel reveals. Humas UNS
Reporter: Rangga Pangestu Adji
Editor: Dwi Hastuti