Gandaria residents develop plastic waste processing tool with economic value

Residents of RT 11 RW 07 Gandaria Utara, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta have developed a simple technology-based plastic waste processing tool to enhance the economic value of household waste. Head of RT 11 RW 07 Gandaria Utara, Imam Basori, told journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday: ‘We want to make it fun so that people dispose of waste, which we then turn into blessings and profit.’ Imam stated that the programme aims to transform the habit of waste disposal into a beneficial activity for the community. He explained that waste management is carried out through collaboration with waste collectors and environmental agencies to ensure collected waste is recycled into useful products. They are preparing a tool called ‘Smart Geprek’ to aid in crushing plastic waste such as bottles and bottle caps using a dynamo and gearbox system. ‘If done manually, it’s often crushed by hand. So we’ll use a dynamo system with that technology,’ he said. In addition to plastic processing, residents are also developing household kitchen waste into compost with a shorter production time than conventional methods. ‘With conventional methods, it takes up to 28 days to harvest compost. We want to reduce the drying process to just one day for immediate use,’ he said. Imam added that the programme will involve schools through waste management awareness campaigns and environmental education. He hopes the developed waste processing tool will serve as a model for other areas in Jakarta. ‘Hopefully, the tool we use can be a sample for others, including security systems like this,’ he said. According to him, several pieces of equipment for the programme have already been prepared, including the purchase of dynamo and gearbox for the plastic waste processing tool. ‘God willing, we will proceed with the production soon,’ Imam said.