Yayasan Pribadi Kamila is the organiser of TKIT Annisa, SD Islam\nCendekia, SMP Islam Cendekia, and SMA PU Al-Bayan Cendekia in Cianjur\nRegency, West Java. The school has developed a Waste Education Centre\n(WEC) programme. The programme, which has been running for almost two\nyears, is said to be the first of its kind in a school environment in\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
WEC is an educational activity centre aimed at raising public\nawareness of waste management and encouraging concrete action to reduce\nits environmental impact. Its four activity pillars are reducing waste\nvolume, managing waste, utilising the results of waste management, and\nenvironmental outreach. These four pillars are realised through\nscheduled learning, structured counselling, training, and environmental\ncampaigns.<\/p>\n
Head of the Waste Education Centre, Deni Rohimat, said the\nestablishment of WEC at Sekolah Islam Cendekia was based on the\nenvironmental crisis caused by waste. At least two main challenges exist\nin facing this condition: environmental restoration and the formation of\na future generation that is more environmentally conscious. \u201cWe see the\nneed to be part of the solution by establishing the Sekolah Islam\nCendekia Waste Education Centre, which has existed since 5 June 2024,\u201d\nsaid Deni on Saturday (29\/8).<\/p>\n
He said the objectives of establishing WEC include minimising the\ncontribution of waste disposal in Cianjur Regency, while also preparing\na generation that cares about the environment from an early age.\nBuilding environmental awareness and concern is not easy. It requires\nthe role of all parties, so the foundation involves all employees and\nstudents at all levels to achieve the programme\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n
This information was reinforced by the foundation\u2019s Operational\nDirector, Rita Yulianti. \u201cWe involve all members of the institution and\nintegrate the curriculum at kindergarten, primary, junior high, and\nsenior high levels,\u201d she stressed. Rita believes educational\ninstitutions have a strategic role in the waste problem, as it relates\nto negligent human behaviour.<\/p>\n
Based on data compiled from various sources, as of July 2024, 36.7%\nof waste in Indonesia was not properly managed. This condition is linked\nto low public awareness of waste management. In West Java, waste\nproduction remains high, reaching 13.41 thousand tonnes per day. In\nCianjur Regency, residents are still found dumping waste into rivers,\nprompting the local government to impose social sanctions.<\/p>\n
Addressing the waste crisis is a shared responsibility, including\neducational institutions as entities that also contribute significantly\nto waste production. At the kindergarten to senior high school level,\nfor example, data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2025 shows\nIndonesia has 303,445 educational institutions. This does not include\nboarding schools and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), which have\nhigher waste production levels.<\/p>\n
There are 42,369 pesantren with 6,274,307 students in Indonesia. Of\nthat number, 13,005 pesantren with 646,143 students are in West Java. If\neach person living in a pesantren produces 0.68 kg of waste per day with\na composition of 60% organic and 40% inorganic, then from students alone\nin West Java, this could generate around 439.37 tonnes of waste per day,\ncomprising 263.62 tonnes of organic waste and 175.75 tonnes of inorganic\nwaste.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnvironmental education is part of our distinctive curriculum in the\nform of institutional quality commitment. We are bold about this because\nenvironmental issues are a serious shared challenge,\u201d said the Education\nDirector of Yayasan Pribadi Kamila Cianjur, Dr.\u00a0Dindin Alawi, S.Si.,\nM.Pd. \u201cWe are aware that environmental education is very important and\nneeds to be implemented from an early age, comprehensively, and\nsustainably,\u201d added the Chairman of Yayasan Pribadi Kamila Cianjur, Drs\nH Lucky Hermawan.<\/p>\n
RELIGIOUS MESSAGE<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Islamic command to protect the environment from damage is clear.\nThat is why the foundation always pays attention to this matter,\u201d said\nfoundation supervisor KH Ghazali Rahman, S.Pd.I. \u201cThe Quran and science\ncannot be separated. The two are very harmonious, including their\nmessages on preserving the environment,\u201d explained foundation patron Ir.\nRunjai Wangsa Laksana, M.Pd.<\/p>\n
IMPLEMENTATION<\/p>\n
The implementation of the WEC work programme varies according to the\nuniqueness of each school level. At the kindergarten unit, the WEC\nprogramme is implemented through education on disposing of waste in the\ncorrect place according to category, singing and clapping about waste\nthat they developed themselves, and watering plants. \u201cAll of this is\ndone repeatedly and involves all school members in order to build\nmeaningful and sustainable habits,\u201d said Head of TKIT Annisa Lia\nKhumairoh Z., S.Pd.<\/p>\n
At the primary school unit, implementation is carried out through\nsocialisation activities during every break time and after Duha prayer.\n\u201cIncluding showing videos related to waste management and watering\nplants,\u201d said Head of SD Islam Cendekia, Ryzki Armansyah, S.Pd.<\/p>\n
At the junior high school unit, the WEC programme is implemented\nthrough the weekly \u2018Pusaka\u2019 (Pot Unggulan Sayur Andalan Karya Anak\nCendekia) activity for three months, followed by daily monitoring of\nwaste management as part of the planned impact. \u201cPusaka is not merely a\nplant commodity, but an entity of creativity of school members in\nmanaging waste in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner,\u201d\nsaid Head of SMP Islam Cendekia, Nisrina Meta Gamanik, S.Pd.<\/p>\n
At the senior high school unit, all school members are involved.\nImplementation is carried out with a sustainable development approach,\nbased on real practice, reflection, collaboration, and integrated with\nlearning and school culture. Routine activities are realised through\n\u2018Selasa Berseka\u2019 and \u2018Jumat Bersih\u2019 with the habit of sorting plastic,\npaper, glass, and organic waste every day in class. Collected waste is\nweighed and further processed twice a week, accompanied by environmental\ncommunity service activities involving students.<\/p>\n
Organic waste is used as a learning resource through project learning\nactivities (catfish ponds, hydroponics, aquaponics, and leachate).\nInorganic waste is managed through the practice of making ecobricks,\npaving blocks, and insulators while upholding high safety standards in\nevery process.<\/p>\n
The senior high school has an Environmental Ambassador group\nconsisting of student representatives from each class, guided by two\nsupervising teachers and the head of WEC. Their role regarding the\nenvironment is very significant. Not limited to waste management, the\nEnvironmental Ambassadors also have a Botanika programme, introducing\nthe names and interesting facts of each plant to all school members in\norder to foster care and familiarise harmonious living with the\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see waste not as a problem, but as a source of innovation for\nschool members,\u201d said Head of SMA PU Al Bayan Cendekia, Ruddy\nHerdriawan, ST., MM.<\/p>\n
IMPACT OF THE WEC PROGRAMME<\/p>\n
The gradual implementation of the Waste Education Centre work\nprogramme has had a positive impact on the environment and school\nmembers under Yayasan Pribadi Kamila Cianjur, especially in reducing\nwaste volume. Almost 100% of organic waste can be recycled and utilised\nwithin the school environment. Most plastic waste can be managed, and\nwaste disposal outside the school environment has decreased\ndrastically.<\/p>\n
In addition, the environmental awareness of school members has tended\nto increase. A low-waste lifestyle trend is beginning to form, students\u2019\nskills in managing waste have improved, and external parties have been\nstimulated to take an interest in environmental care movements. The\ntrend of decreasing waste production is directly proportional to waste\neducation through environmental campaigns.<\/p>\n
\u201cReducing waste production is not easy. Everyone needs to be\nconstantly reminded. Even adults, when it comes to waste, are like small\nchildren; they need to be constantly reminded,\u201d stressed General Affairs\nManager, Asyraf, SH.<\/p>\n
Besides bringing positive impacts, the environmental care movement\nthrough the Waste Education Centre has also received positive\nimpressions from students and school committees as parent\nrepresentatives. \u201cIt\u2019s fun, because I now know where to throw rubbish. I\nlike watering plants with a sprayer the most because it makes the plants\nfresh, not wilted,\u201d said Class B1 student Mahesa Fransisca.<\/p>\n
Hasby, a grade 5B student at SD Islam Cendekia, said he was happy to\nlearn at WEC. Much knowledge can be gained, including making flower pots\nfrom used bottles. \u201cI am very happy to participate in Waste Education\nCentre activities. I can learn directly how to manage waste and protect\nthe environment. It turns out that protecting nature is fun and there\nare many things to learn,\u201d added another student, Irdina Putri Afiqah, a\ngrade 8D student at SMP Islam Cendekia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Daffa, a grade XI-1 student, said he was happy and proud\nto be directly involved in the Waste Education Centre programme at SMA\nPU Al Bayan Cendekia, especially as he was trusted to be part of the\nEnvironmental Ambassadors. For him, the WEC programme is more than just\nlearning to keep the environment clean. He gained new experience in\nsorting, processing, and reusing waste so that it has value.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friends and I have become more caring and responsible towards the\nenvironment. Being an Environmental Ambassador also makes us feel we\nhave a role in inviting friends to build better habits in managing\nwaste. We are proud to contribute to creating a cleaner, more beautiful,\nmore comfortable school and pesantren environment, and to be part of the\nchange towards a Zero Waste culture,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Parents also appreciate and fully support the implementation of the\nWaste Education Centre programme, which is scheduled into students\u2019\nlearning activities and even integrated into the foundation\u2019s\ncurriculum. \u201cI see the students are very enthusiastic about\nparticipating in waste sorting, simple recycling, and the habit of\ndisposing of waste in the right place, which is packaged attractively by\nthe teachers,\u201d said Chair of the TKIT Annisa Committee, Intan Herawati,\nS.Keb., Bdn.<\/p>\n
These activities not only shape environmentally caring character from\nan early age but also teach responsibility, discipline, and cooperation.\n\u201cWe agree that environmental education is an important part of forming a\ngeneration that is noble and cares about the sustainability of the\nearth,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chair of the SD Islam Cendekia Committee, Wini Noviany,\nobserved changes in children\u2019s behaviour towards waste, including\nlearning not to litter and being more aware of environmental protection.\n\u201cAlhamdulillah, the children look very enthusiastic about participating\nin the Waste Education Centre programme. The activities are very\npositive in building environmental awareness from an early age and\ntraining good habits in students,\u201d explained Chair of the SMP Islam\nCendekia Committee, Isma Masrofah.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the spirit we see and encourage at SMA PU Al Bayan Cendekia\nthrough the Waste Education Centre and the Zero Waste movement. This\neducation not only teaches how to manage waste but also builds awareness\nthat every individual has a responsibility to reduce waste generated\nfrom the source. Hopefully, the small steps taken by SMA PU Al Bayan\nCendekia can be part of a larger solution for society and the\nenvironment. From school we move, from family we habituate, and from\ntoday we begin. Zero Waste is not just an ideal, but our shared\nresponsibility,\u201d said Chair of the SMA PU Al Bayan Cendekia Committee,\nSulkifly Baro.<\/p>\n
Dr.\u00a0Dera Nugraha, an education activist who also contributed to the\nestablishment of the Sekolah Islam Cendekia Waste Education Centre, is\noptimistic about this environmental programme. According to him, WEC has\nnot yet been able to overcome the waste crisis in Cianjur Regency, let\nalone in West Java. However, in terms of contributing to environmental\nimprovement and preparing a future generation that is more\nenvironmentally conscious, its motivation, realistic work programme, and\nreal impact can be replicated elsewhere according to context.\n\u201cEspecially for similar educational institutions in Indonesia, for the\nrestoration and a better environmental future,\u201d said Dera.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/first-in-indonesia-school-establishes-waste-education-centre-1788003958", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }