Sumbersari Village, Purworejo Regency, is one of the banana-producing villages. Currently, some MSMEs specialize in processing bananas into chips. "Unfortunately, the waste in the form of banana peels is usually thrown away. Therefore, we initiated to manage banana peel waste into valuable foodstuffs through the Educreative Entrepreneurship class program," said Aji Aryo Prayoga, head of the UNY student community service team in Sumbersari village on December 15, 2023. The community gained knowledge of the production process, SWOT analysis, and marketing strategies through this class.
"Banana peels contain nutrients and fiber that are beneficial for health, such as carbohydrates, calcium, and phosphorus. Processing banana peels into snacks can support innovation in the local food industry," said Kurniati Sholekah, a UNY students' community service team member. In addition to providing various healthy and delicious food products for consumers, it also encourages awareness of the importance of minimizing waste, utilizing resources efficiently, and creating innovative, healthy, and environmentally friendly products.
Banana peel waste requires special processing. "The banana peels are first cut into rectangles about 1 mm wide, then washed with clean water. Then we put the cut banana peels into a basin containing water and whiting for 1 hour. Then, we wash the banana peels under running water and then soaked in salt water for 15 minutes," said Yudi Anwar, a member of the UNY student community service team
"In addition to providing information on the banana peel recycling process, this activity also provides entrepreneurial knowledge that is quite useful in improving the community's potential income," said Lilis, one of the participants. (Writer: Dedy, Editor: Sudaryono, Tj.Lak)
