Indonesian Islamic school turns waste into paving blocks and biogas, minister says others should follow

Students at an Islamic boarding school in East Java are turning discarded materials into paving blocks and biogas, prompting Indonesia’s coordinating food affairs minister to call for the practice to be copied elsewhere.

The initiative operates at SMK Kreatif Chasbullah, part of Pondok Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas in Jombang. The students sort waste, process inorganic materials and manage the remaining residue. Their work has turned environmental lessons into practical production.

“This is a good example. The students not only know how to sort waste, but can already process it into something useful. This is what we must continue to support and replicate elsewhere,” Zulkifli Hasan said in a statement received in Surabaya.

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This is a good example. The students not only know how to sort waste, but can already process it into something useful. This is what we must continue to support and replicate elsewhere.

Hasan said environmental literacy should extend beyond awareness to concrete action. He pointed to waste processing as a way to reduce discarded material and develop habits of environmental stewardship from an early age. He also described converting waste into energy, including through waste-to-electricity processing, as an important step.

During his visit, Hasan tested the students’ knowledge of different types of waste, uses for inorganic materials and residue management. The students explained how they produced paving blocks and biogas. “We have processed waste and turned it into biogas and paving blocks, so nothing is thrown away, zero waste,” said a student, Andika M Nuur.

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We have processed waste and turned it into biogas and paving blocks, so nothing is thrown away, zero waste.