UAD Students Turn Tofu Waste into Unique Yogyakarta Souvenirs
A team of students from Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) has achieved a proud milestone. They successfully created a business innovation called TOFILOKA and secured funding from the 2026 Student Entrepreneur Development Programme (P2MW).
The accomplished team consists of five students from the UAD Industrial Engineering Study Programme. The group of young innovators is led by Muhammad Khairul Anam, with members Mochamad Geren Wibisana, Adnan Bintang Nur F., Afifa Puspa Wardhana, and Annida Shafa Salsabila.
This funding achievement is regarded as the sweet fruit of the team’s hard work and close collaboration with their supervising lecturer.
The business development idea originated from the students’ concern about environmental conservation and regional tourism potential. TOFILOKA team leader Muhammad Khairul Anam explained the main concept behind his team’s product.
“TOFILOKA is a souvenir product innovation that embraces the concept of sustainability. This product utilises tofu dregs fibre, which has long been considered waste, to create various souvenirs that are aesthetically valuable, environmentally friendly, and economically valuable,” Khairul explained in a written statement on Monday (10/8/2026).
The creative idea stemmed from the problem of minimal utilisation of tofu production residue, which risks polluting the surrounding environment. On the other hand, tourist demand for unique Yogyakarta souvenirs with a story behind them continues to rise sharply. This recycled product is expected to address both challenges simultaneously.
“TOFILOKA offers a solution by turning tofu dregs waste into saleable souvenir products. Besides reducing waste, this product can also increase added value for small and medium enterprise players,” Khairul added.
This innovation has several comparative advantages over conventional souvenirs. The product uses environmentally friendly waste raw materials and features designs wrapped in Yogyakarta’s distinctive cultural identity. Its management strongly supports the implementation of a circular economy by providing far higher economic value.
Not only does each piece carry artistic and economic value, but every creation by the team also embeds an educational message for the wider public. The educational message emphasises the importance of recycling leftover materials into new, highly beneficial products. This outstanding achievement was attained through a series of highly intensive preparation stages.
The student team proactively conducted market research, product development, business model refinement, and regular consultations with the study programme. Going forward, the funding injection from P2MW will be focused on massively improving both quality and production capacity. The team also plans to expand its marketing reach both online and offline, strengthen branding, and collaborate with various strategic partners.
This start-up is expected to become self-sufficient, sustainable, and capable of creating new jobs for the wider community. The creative product is also targeted to become one of Yogyakarta’s iconic souvenirs recognised by the public.