Stop Burning Trash! How UNISA Lecturers Encourage Godean Residents to Turn Trash into Treasure

The community service team from Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (UNISA) Yogyakarta stepped in to address the waste problem in Padukuhan Sembungan, Godean, Sleman. Through socialization, residents were encouraged to no longer dispose of or burn waste, but rather to process it into something of economic value.

This initiative aims to revitalize the Sembungan Waste Bank, which has not been managed optimally to date. Until now, residents have only collected inorganic waste for sale, while household organic waste often ends up being burned.

To change this habit, UNISA Yogyakarta brought in environmental practitioner Ida Ayu Fitriyanti. She presented various easy ways to process waste at home.

“Waste is not just a problem, but also has economic value if managed properly,” said Ida Ayu. She introduced appropriate technologies such as Lodong Sisa Dapur (Losida) for composting and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) maggot cultivation, which can be used as high-value animal feed.

Team Leader Erni Saharuddin, S.Sos., MPA, explained that this program is the first step in reviving residents’ commitment. In addition to providing technical training, the team also assisted in establishing a waste bank management system to make it more structured.

“We hope that residents will become more aware that waste can be a source of benefit if managed consistently together,” said Erni.

The program titled “BISA GUNA,” funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, is expected to make Padukuhan Sembungan a model for community-based waste management aligned with the concept of a green economy.