Household waste is one of the most crucial problems nowadays. In big cities, waste is a significant problem that is still difficult to solve. Based on the type of waste itself, it is divided into two parts: organic waste, which can be decomposed with the help of micro-organisms, and inorganic waste, which cannot be decomposed naturally. The problem of waste in urban areas is an issue that is still considered very important to study about its solution. We need technology to help the community manage waste, especially plastic waste. This concern drives the UKMF Matrix Team of UNY, which created a program to foster and empower residents of the Caturtunggal waste settlement village to process plastic waste into feasible goods with economic value. This team consists of Hilal Fahrul Hamam as the team leader with members Muhammad Ikhsan Ardi H., Dira Tri Puspita, Andika Wicaksana, Jairus Asher Purdy, Hanif Nur Hidayat, Fitriana Kusumawardani, Panji Tri Asmoro, Muhammad Imam N. H, Prayoga Farentya Zekha, Dimas Kurniawan , Sandra Austin, Dimas Ari Saputra, Nugroho Suryo Pambudi and Hafidz Nur Ihsa A.
According to Hilal Fahrul Hamam, they chose Kledokan Caturtunggal because most people in the area are garbage scavengers and make this their main livelihood. "The problem faced by the Kledokan community is the lack of public awareness to process plastic waste properly and correctly into creative products and services that have a higher economic value so that they can boost the community's economy," he said. In addition, the education factor and the lack of skill in recycling waste make the community hardly set the initiative in processing plastic waste for higher economic value. Muhammad Ikhsan Ardi added that the UKMF Matrix team gave two machines to the Kledokan residents, namely a chopping machine and an extruder machine. "The extruder machine is used to melt plastic seeds so that they can be made into plastic cup products, while the chopping machine is used to make plastic seeds from plastic bottles," said Ikhsan.
Dira Tri Puspita said that apart from providing two machines, the team also provided training to residents on various things. "In addition to training on how to use machines and training on machine maintenance, the team prepared to give maintenance support," said Dira. According to her, this activity is part of the partnership with Padukuhan Kledokan officials. As a result, Kledokan will become a village under the guidance of UNY. Other training includes socializing how to correctly and adequately process plastic waste and marketing products from plastic waste processing.
This activity received financial support from the Village Community Empowerment Program (P2MD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. P2MD is a community empowerment activity carried out by students through the Student Activity Unit (UKM) or the Student Executive Board. The goal is to foster a sense of caring for students and contribute to the village community to build fostered villages that are active, independent, entrepreneurial, and prosperous.
