UI Partners with BRIN to Develop Zero Waste Processing
Universitas Indonesia (UI) has joined forces with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and industrial partner Viro to develop a pilot model of zero-waste management in educational environments.
Professor Mochamad Chalid, a senior lecturer from the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at UI’s Faculty of Engineering (FTUI), said in Depok on Tuesday that the Merdeka Sampah (Waste Independence) programme aims to drive the transformation of waste management in educational institutions through a systematic, educational, and sustainable approach.
Merdeka Sampah forms part of FTUI’s community service initiative, focusing on building an environmentally conscious culture through education and early behavioural change.
Through a series of training sessions and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) entitled ‘Roadmap for Waste Management in Educational Institutions’, partner schools and universities are being encouraged not only to serve as places of formal learning but also as spaces for sustainability practices with tangible impact.
The approach adopted in the programme affirms that waste management in educational institutions requires more than just facilities and technology; it also demands strong leadership character, structured governance, changed habits, and the collective commitment of all members of the institution.
Chalid said that schools and universities are the best places to instil new habits. When a waste management culture is built from an early stage, its impact extends beyond the educational environment to families and wider society.
Behavioural change must therefore be the primary foundation in building a sustainable waste management system.
In practice, each educational institution is encouraged to identify its actual conditions, challenges, and priority actions for waste management, focusing on waste reduction, sorting at source, organic waste processing, and strengthening data governance.
Meanwhile, Dean of FTUI Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan said waste management requires multi-stakeholder collaboration and science-based solutions.
“Universities must not only produce knowledge and innovation, but must also be able to deliver solutions that address society’s challenges. Through the Merdeka Sampah programme, FTUI is fostering synergy between academia, government, and industry to build a sustainable waste management model that can serve as a reference for educational institutions across Indonesia,” said Professor Kemas.