Manggarai Selatan Transforms Organic Waste into Planting Media Using 'Biowash'

South Manggarai Village, located in the Tebet District of South Jakarta, is transforming organic waste into planting media using a fermented liquid derived from fruit peels and fresh vegetable scraps known as ‘biowash’.

‘Biowash is the result of fermenting fruit peels or fresh vegetable scraps mixed with a specific microorganism liquid or starter (Promic). It is a rapid method for converting organic waste into more beneficial planting media,’ said the Head of South Mangbarai Village, Sri Nurwiyanti, in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Sri explained the production process: one kilogram of organic waste, consisting of fruit peels or fresh vegetable scraps, is mixed with 200 grams of Promic starter and five litres of water, then left to sit for three days. Once fermented, the liquid can be used at a ratio of one to thirty, meaning one litre of biowash is diluted with 30 litres of water.

‘Currently, the production process is still being carried out at the village office,’ she said.

The organic waste used for production is sourced from residents who bring their waste directly to the village office, as well as from food stalls in the surrounding area, to be processed into biowash on-site.

Sri added that they have been conducting socialisation regarding biowash during every community meeting, with the hope that residents or PKK cadres can produce it themselves in their own homes.

‘The hope for the future is that through this method, we can manage organic waste into planting media in our area more quickly. Its use for plants is also easier, and eventually, the results of this method could also provide economic value for the community,’ she said.