Refreshing Tepache Drink from Pineapple Peel Waste

Fruit waste, such as pineapple peels, often ends up as rubbish even though it still has the potential to be utilised. From the perspective of environmental optimisation and productivity, organic waste like pineapple peels still holds high utility value if processed properly. Efforts to reuse this residual material are a crucial step to reduce the volume of domestic waste while creating new products that benefit the community.

Driven by the urgency of reducing organic waste, students from the Alternative Community Service Programme (KKN) of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) Unit I.A.3 organised a training activity titled ‘Making Drinks from Pineapple Peel Waste’ in RW 03, Sorosutan Village, Umbulharjo District, Yogyakarta City. This thematic work programme was enthusiastically attended by members of the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) group.

The programme aims to reduce organic waste in residential areas, increase community creativity in processing agricultural by-products, and open new business opportunities based on the utilisation of local products. Before the training began, the KKN student team conducted a simple observation of residents’ habits in treating non-vegetable kitchen waste. The results showed that the majority of residents still considered pineapple peels as waste with no economic value, often causing a sour smell if left to accumulate in disposal sites.

A lack of literacy regarding the utilisation of fruit waste was the main reason why the economic and health potential of this material was overlooked. This field condition confirmed the importance of educational intervention in the form of practical training that is easy to implement at the household scale. During the training, residents were introduced to tepache, a traditional fermented drink that is healthy, refreshing, and proven to be high in vitamin C, made by utilising pineapple peels. The students directly demonstrated the entire production process, from hygienic washing techniques for the pineapple peels, mixing with water and brown sugar, to the short fermentation process lasting several days. The atmosphere at the RW hall became livelier during the interactive discussion and tasting session of the fermented tepache.

This training significantly improved residents’ understanding of the concept of value-added products. Residents not only understood the theory of waste management but were also inspired to see how previously worthless waste could be transformed into a product with market value and health benefits. The students expressed their hope to show that implementing green industry systems and the zero waste concept does not have to be grandiose, but can start from utilising our own kitchen waste. Pineapple peels that were previously discarded, with a little fermentation creativity, can become a healthy drink with economic value. If this is consistently developed, the Sorosutan environment will become cleaner and residents’ micro-business opportunities can grow. Through this programme, residents of Sorosutan Village not only gained knowledge about environmental sustainability but also acquired practical skills for economic independence. The hope is that this activity can spawn various environmentally friendly local product innovations, as well as become a trigger for a broader movement of sorting and utilising organic waste within the community.