Undip KKN Team Builds Community Empowerment Through Waste Bank

A student team from Diponegoro University (Undip) has launched an initiative to tackle waste management issues in Denasri Wetan Village, Batang Regency, Central Java. The team, known as Tim 10 KKN Undip, has established a waste bank named 'Dena Lestari Berdaya' with the goal of enhancing community awareness regarding the proper sorting and processing of household waste.

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We want people to not see waste as just something that must be thrown away, but also as something that can be sorted and has value. Therefore, from the beginning, we involved BUMDes and PKK so that this program can continue.

The establishment of the waste bank was prompted by observations that residents in Denasri Wetan possess limited knowledge about waste segregation and management. Consequently, valuable and economically viable materials are not being utilized to their full potential. Jadev Abrar, the coordinator of Tim 10 KKN Undip, explained that the project aims to shift the community's perception of waste from something to be discarded to a resource with potential value.

To ensure the program's sustainability, the initiative involves collaboration with the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) and the Family Welfare Movement (PKK). The waste bank is strategically located at the Denasri Wetan Village Hall to facilitate easier waste submission by residents and broaden access to the waste management program. The management structure includes BUMDes members in key leadership roles and PKK members filling other positions, with task division and operational mechanisms determined through community discussions involving the KKN team and relevant stakeholders.

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The hope is that after the KKN is finished, the community will remain consistent in sorting waste from home. This waste bank is not just a place to deposit waste, but it can also be a forum for empowerment and community economic activities.

An initial operational trial was conducted on August 9, 2026, where PKK members collected and sorted waste, allowing residents to learn about separating recyclable materials. Abrar highlighted this as a positive achievement, aligning with the government's mission to reduce waste volume. He expressed hope that residents will continue sorting waste even after the KKN program concludes, viewing the waste bank not just as a drop-off point but as a hub for economic empowerment and community activities. The head of the waste bank, Ilham Yahya, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the potential for economic benefits by repurposing waste.

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This program is expected to provide economic benefits by transforming waste that was previously considered worthless.