Indonesian and South Korean Students Develop Community Waste Management System for Jakarta Housing

Universitas Indonesia (UI), in partnership with students from several South Korean universities, is launching a community-based waste management system at the KS Tubun low-cost housing complex in West Jakarta. This initiative aims to cultivate waste sorting habits and advance sustainable waste management practices within the vertical housing environment.

The program, spearheaded by UI's Directorate of Community Service and Social Innovation (DPIS) and involving the Korea-Indonesia Connection (KIC) FISIP UI, Ink & Talk Community, and the KS Tubun Rusunawa Youth Organization, is led by Getar Hati, a lecturer at UI's Department of Social Welfare. Initial assessments revealed that household waste management at KS Tubun was predominantly characterized by disposal without sorting, despite residents having access to waste collection services. The high level of community participation in various activities was identified as a strong foundation for building a community-driven waste management system.

Through a participatory approach, the project team has organized several activities. These include discussions on waste management systems in South Korea, basic English and Korean language training, international network development, and the design of a waste management system tailored for vertical housing. Young residents involved in the Karang Taruna (Youth Organization) are receiving training in leadership, cross-cultural communication, and sustainable waste management to empower them as catalysts for change in their community.

The international collaboration includes students from Busan University of Foreign Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Chung-Ang University, and Seoul National University. They are sharing their expertise on household waste sorting systems, urban environmental management, and sustainability practices implemented in South Korea. The program also features training on organic waste processing using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae, encouraging residents to convert organic waste into valuable resources and reduce the volume sent to landfills. Following implementation, the team will monitor and evaluate the project's impact on community knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding waste management, with the goal of refining the community-based model for potential application in other vertical housing projects across Jakarta.